MattPie

This the first article on the NYT I clicked on: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/trump-transition.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 Julie Hirschfield Davis, BA in Arts, Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale (1997).

I've been on a tear lately, probably because I'm shirking some real-life responsibility. PlusI figured out an easier way to use my local library via the Aldiko app on my phone to check out ebooks. Jack London: Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea Wolf. The first two are primarily from a dog's perspective about like in the very-North West. I don't think I needed to read both, but Wild is only like 100 pages (and I read it first of the two). They're quick reads and if you're interested in old-timey frontier life, a lot of fun. The Sea Wolf features human characters sailing on a sealing schooner in the early 1900s. It got better for me as the book went along, and while the philosophy is interesting, it's again a great window into a way of life that has somewhat passed into history. I will likely read more London. (note: these are all free books via feedbooks.com) David Lagercrantz: the fourth book of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. It's a nice book, not as good as the Steig Larsson originals. It's pretty short and it never really seemed like the outcome was in doubt. The last scene is disappointing. I'll probably read the next one if it shows up at the library. Ernest Cline: Armada. I read another of his books some time ago, and if Cline prescribes to the "write what you know" school of novel writing, he's a video gamer in his early 20s. Both books feature a ton of video game references (even I notice them, and I haven't played much of anything in 10 years) and center around a teen-age gamer thrust into saving the world. Armada will remind you of The Last Starfighter in a lot of ways, although the book acknowledges that in the first couple chapters which somehow makes it legitimate. I enjoyed it, I'll probably keep an eye out for more books from Cline. Some guy: The Bourne Ascendancy? (Alchemy? Aviary?). I've never really read spy thrillers and nothing of Bourne, although I think I've seen a couple of the movies (Julia Styles, right?). It was the monthly serial read on the nook app this month, so I'm a sucker for the read a chapter or two a day format because it stops me from obsessing and reading for hours. The book was fine, much like watching an average spy movie on TV. I see the Bourne series is now being churned out yearly so this doesn't feel like anything other than "we need a Bourne story this year, get writing". I didn't dislike it, but I probably won't seek out more.

He rode a bike; conditioning assignment.

M-x wild-theory-mode Americans use time because we primary travel by mechanical conveyance, in which the time to travel a particular distance can vary greatly (It takes hours to drive 20 miles in Brooklyn, where my morning commute is 30 miles in 30 minutes). Cultures that walk or bike more worry about distance as it's a direct relationship to difficulty and your walking or bicycle pace won't vary a ton unless you're climbing mountains.

At SB1595. I think I have to bet this one. It has all the indicators of a trap game, Buffalo has to win a game here or there and against an unlikely opponent as the Blues is probably the time they'll win. Which is why I'm putting 4 on the Blues.

Flutie seemed to do OK with the Pats too, right? Or am I over-remembering it because of the Buffalo angle? I don't remember: were the Seahawks good before Marshawn?

The problem with ending the Iran deal is there are more players than just the US and Iran. The US can pull out, but other countries are lining up. i feel like it's better to be involved and have input rather than be blind and the net effect is IRan sells just as much, just not to the US and the US can't monitor.

First part: I don't know if you can combat racism with just words. Obama did pass the Shepard Byrd Hate Crimes Bill: https://www.justice.gov/usao/priority-areas/civil-rights/hate-crimes Second part: I don't know. All that says is that you're willing to turn a blind eye to evil if it doesn't involve you. I suppose we all do that on an unintentionally to some degree but it saddens me to think there are people that would look on as someone takes a beating without speaking out or trying to help.

I'll admit that I find it hard to fathom how anyone who looked at Trump's statements on race and said, "nah, that's ok." isn't a racist. I know that's not true, but it's like seeing someone from Buffalo saying, "nah, I don't think Marchand meant to high-stick someone and then take a dive. The Buffalo player deserved that penalty."

It's a shame TVR isn't Russian, otherwise we could call him the Russian Supercar.

[ First line: I nominate you for the annual Sabrespace Emmies, for the extremely realistic portrayal of a Trump Supporter. It's one thing to have a thought, it's another to have a buddy egg you on to convince you to do it. I know it's too much to ask for in politics, but I'd much rather see diversity in an administration's advisors. Get several sides to a story and choose, instead of getting one side and be convinced it's the only side.

Romney, surely? FBI: It's tough to tell, but in an election where (apparently) the Republicans drew in the same number of votes as usual, but Democrats were short something like 5 million from Obama's totals, I'd say it's likely a significant number of people lost their desire to vote for Clinton due to the FBI letter, even if it was cleared up a whole 2 days before the election. Even then, people who don't understand how email works were claiming that there's no way the FBI could have exonerated her that quickly. In any case, it matter naught for now unless someone (I don't know who would) starts an investigation of the FBI at the FBI.

Almost as if White Nationalism has been quiet for many years, but now they feel like the White House is a safe-space for them. For that matter, since the Election, you've been far more overt and vocal about your support for Trump. Do you think you're unique (dare I say a special snowflake)? It seems like the White Power folks are feeling the same; their worldview has been vindicated at the expense of diversity. (Am NOT tying you to them, I don't recall you saying anything White-power around here). How about hockey terms: if Gary Bettman stepped down today, would the dinosaurs that want to see 1-0 games, fights, cheap shots, and stars put in their place be encouraged more if Jim Lorentz or Mike Milbury took the helm?

I think safe spaces is a bit much for the pin, it's simply, "Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him." It's the physical manifestation of what anyone who traveled abroad during the Bush years said.

Nah, that's just Buffalo fashion. True Buffalo fashion is Talyor goes to, say, and Bengals and that starts a multi-year playoff run for them while leading the league in combined QB yards (or some other stat I just made up)..

I wonder how much of it is Reinhart is playing Center now and was on the wing most of last season. That's another big step and surely has some growing pains attached.

Catch up post... I could see a system where trucking starts to resemble old-timey ships at sea in terms of having a pilot. A pilot in shipping was a person that would sail out to a ship approaching port and navigate the ship in to avoid the various hazards. In trucking (and frankly, ocean shipping), it's not unreasonable to think the truck will get itself to the parking lot and the "pilot" walks out and backs it up to the loading dock. You still have an employee for the pilot, but the pilot can probably park 6 trucks an hour, so there are six drivers that aren't needed. Ships would be the same thing; the ship gets to the outer harbor and waits for a minimal human crew to come on-board and take the ship in. The difference there is maintenance; if a ship breaks down in the middle of the ocean, it's a bigger issue than a truck on a highway somewhere. At some point, I wonder if we don't have to start considering either basic minimum income or third-world poverty. I'm not sure if anyone touched on this, but there are surely people who would have voted for Clinton but didn't bother because those states were in the bag too. In a straight popular vote (no EC or an EC system that PA mentioned where states now give their votes to the winner of the popular vote), perhaps the voting totals go up but I'm not sure the spread changes that much. Any time you assign delegates based on population you're introducing rounding error. If one of those counties has 100,000 people, and the other has 102,000, they probably end up with the same number of delegates so a candidate could receive more votes but still be tied. In theory those should average out but you're going to end up every so often with cases where 70,000 people in county A vote for candidate 1 and 51,001 people in county B vote for candidate 2 but they're tied in delegates. Additionally, adding a static number of delegates for each county increases the influence of lower-population areas, just like the US-wide electoral system. There are arguments for doing that (like Neo's post that small states should have a vote in the face of larger states), but I have a really tough time with say "these people's votes matter more than these other people's votes". It grates against my sense of fair play and notion of all men being equal. I'm note sure I'm ready to put weight behind this, but essentially anyone that doesn't live in a swing state has very little power in their vote to change things in the EC system. (re: trains running on time) I hope that's just trolling, and not an intentional nod. Ugh. I don't think it's accidental.

As much as I hope that's the way if goes, the rumors of his cabinet dream-team don't give me much hope. Did I see his kids have been named to the transition team. Link is from Slate; businessinsider won't force ME to turn off my adblocker: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/11/11/trump_names_trump_organization_managers_to_transition_team.html Interesting to note that Trump says his children will also run his business via Blind Trust while he's in office, but as I understand it, blind trust requires an independent person to be named. I think the point is a 35% tax cut (let's say from 25% to roughly 18%) is a lot less that from 35% to 15% (60% cut, roughly). Besides, the Supreme Court ruled businesses have rights now, they can pay on the same tax scale too.

Well, if they're based on the one in the 50s, they better be investigating themselves.

He's also a 7-year vet NHL player that didn't have a lower-body issue. It's certainly possible they'll give Eichel a game or two to get into shape.

Oh good, Newt Gingrich is calling for a new House Committee on Un-American Activities. And that's not just hyperbole, he's actually referencing the one during the 50s and talking about how it was a good idea. EDIT: that's apparently an article from June. Still.

To be honest, I never put the two together until today. But as I think about it, I'm not sure if the Supreme Court could invalidate one part of the Constitution using another part. IN the past, issuing amendments (such as the 18th/21st and 14th vs. slavery) has been the vehicle. I'd have to look, but I think the EC is mentioned in the constitution but the actual operation is determined by acts of Congress. I'd think you could challenge those acts based on the 14th, and then push for acts to essentially make the EC a rubber stamp for whomever got the most votes in the election. I'm no lawyer, of course.

In things like national elections, I don't think states should overrule voters, which the EC in it's current form has the potential to do. I read some of Federalist Paper 68 the other day, and I somewhat understand (presumed) Hamilton's thought process of the EC as a bulwark against the mob. However, I know that I'd have a tough time being a smug as Hank if I had to say, "My candidate didn't get as many votes as his challenger but he got votes in the right places to win." The EC discounts the votes of some and increases the power of others; all men aren't equal when it comes to presidential voting. Hmm, could you challenge the EC operations on the grounds of the 14th amendment? This is the most eloquent thing you've said in this discussion! :)

Fnaar, Fnaar. I agree though with NS though, much less toddler waste with the smaller bananas.

You kids. In my day, it took hours to compile kernels only to find the computer wouldn't boot afterwards. :)