tingilinde

a class act

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on LeBron James breaking his scoring record

 

Why I’m Thrilled That LeBron Broke the Record

Whenever a sports record is broken—including mine—it’s a time for celebration. It means someone has pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible to a whole new level. And when one person climbs higher than the last person, we all feel like we are capable of being more.

For me, the inspirational power of sports is best explained in a scene in the 1985 film Vision Quest. In it, Elmo, an aging fry cook at a hotel, explains:

I was in the room here one day, watchin’ the Mexican channel on TV. I don’t know nothin’ about Pelé. I’m watchin’ what this guy can do with a ball on his feet.

Next thing I know, he jumps in the air and flips into a somersault and kicks the ball in—upside down and backwards. The goddamn goalie never knew what the fuck hit him. Pelé gets excited. He rips off his jersey and starts running around the stadium wav­ing it around over his head. Everybody’s screaming in Spanish. I’m here, sitting alone in my room, and I start crying. [Pause.] Yeah, that’s right, I start crying. Because another human being, a species that I hap­pen to belong to, could kick a ball, and lift himself, and the rest of us sad-assed human beings up to a better place to be, if only for a minute . . . Let me tell ya, kid—it was pretty goddamned glorious.

That is the magic of sports. To see something seemingly impossi­ble, reminding us that if one person can do it, then we all somehow share in that achievement. It is what sends children onto playgrounds to duplicate a LeBron layup or a Steph Curry three-pointer. Or Mia Hamm inspiring a whole generation of girls to come off the bleachers and onto the field. Millions of children across the country pushing themselves toward excellence because they saw an athlete do something spectacular and they want to do it too. Or at least try. That same kind of drive is behind many of humankind’s greatest achievements.

And it’s all exceptionally glorious.

 

 

republicans on medicare and social security

Severely cutting or out-right killing the programs has been a Republican wet-dream for decades.  Paul Krugman calls them on it.

 

 

 

approximately tasteless

Poorly placed signage.

 

 

hospital at home

Eric Topol weights in on the hospital at home movement in the US.

 

important safety tip

Don't take metal into an MRI.  Also don't take a gun into an MRI when you've signed a paper saying you're not taking anything metal in.

 

 

 

shift happens

If you're really into keyboards .. a Kickstarter for a book project.

 

 

the fake electors scheme

Details released by the Jan 6 committee.

a tip of the hat to Jim

 

 

 

gerrymandering

A thoughtful piece by Greg on gerrymandering.

snip

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But why not adopt the obvious remedy? Just mandate compact redistricting by law, and the mischief will end. Stopping gerrymandering in its tracks.

Unfortunately, you may not be aware that compact maps are just as easily manipulated for political gain as a district that looks like a cracked mirror. Even more surprisingly, to guarantee an elected legislature proportionately reflects the views of its citizens, you must settle near kindred spirits, live in an echo-chamber, and gerrymander- or risk disenfranchisement!

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like a zebra

In 1952 Alan Turing proposed a self-organizing mechanism that he called a reaction–diffusion system to explain, among other things, how  Zebras got their stripes.  And now it's used to explain fingerprints.

 

the 'freedom' convoy

Canada's rightwing anti-vaxxer truck convoy had Russian roots.

snip

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As part of its coverage, RT sent correspondents to do on-the-ground reporting in Canada, which mostly consisted of interviews with convoy organizers and supporters. The sympathetic coverage and “exclusive” interviews with convoy participants cultivated support for the convoy, and as a result, RT’s coverage was shared relatively widely on social media by Canadian supporters. Connecting with domestic influencers and encouraging them to share foreign propaganda is a known tactic associated with foreign influence campaigns. It’s also a way to make foreign propaganda appear more legitimate to local audiences.

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