We saw The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. It was a fun show. My only quibble is that there’s about the right amount of buffoonery for, say, a Marx Brothers tribute, but a little too much for a Beatles show. A friend tells me his favorite Beatle is John, followed by George, which I’d say are not bad choices. I’ve always thought George was underrated as a singer-songwriter compared to Paul. One thing that always bothered me about John is that he was telling people that all they need is love, while he himself had a fondness for fashion, drove a Rolls Royce and lived in the most expensive building in New York. I’m not aware that anyone ever asked him about the apparent contradiction but it would have been a good question: “You’re telling people who may be living on the street or can’t afford… Read more →
Author Archive: Paul Epps
The New Transgender Standard
A person's gender is what they say it is or what Natalee Bingham says it is? Also: a person who is clearly a man in a dress says another can't be female because they don't look female. https://t.co/542CEueO2B — Paul Epps (@paulepps) November 25, 2022 Read more →
Danger, Folly and Presumption
The statesman who should attempt to direct private people in what manner they ought to employ their capitals, would not only load himself with a most unnecessary attention, but assume an authority which could safely be trusted to no council and senate whatever, and which would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly and presumption enough to fancy himself fit to exercise it. — Adam Smith Read more →
Harvard, Yale, Berkeley Pull Out of Law School Rankings
Law schools at Harvard, Yale and UC Berkeley have pulled out of U.S. News & World Report’s rankings over concerns that the system is biased against equity programs. It seems unlikely that the system is biased against equity programs or that the rankings even consider equity programs, but if “equity programs” means what I think it does, it means that the schools reject accomplished candidates who are White, Asian or Jewish in favor of less accomplished candidates who are not White, Asian or Jewish. That would show up indirectly in rankings if the rankings look, as I’m sure they do, at LSAT scores, GPA and other indications of merit. It seems like one of two things can happen as a result of equity programs. One is that the schools teach classes to the level of the students, so if you reduce the qualifications of the students, you teach classes at… Read more →
Places, Loved Ones
No, I have never found The place where I could say This is my proper ground, Here I shall stay; Nor met that special one Who has an instant claim On everything I own Down to my name; To find such seems to prove You want no choice in where To build, or whom to love; You ask them to bear You off irrevocably, So that it’s not your fault Should the town turn dreary, The girl a dolt. Yet, having missed them, you’re Bound, none the less, to act As if what you settled for Mashed you, in fact; And wiser to keep away From thinking you still might trace Uncalled-for to this day Your person, your place. — Philip Larkin, “Places, Loved Ones” Read more →
Unemployment Numbers Don’t Make Sense
From a Daily Wire newsletter: Tech giant Meta is laying off 13 percent of its workforce across all of its companies: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, etc. That amounts to around 11,000 jobs — the biggest tech layoff of the year. That’s an especially high number when you remember that since its founding 18 years ago, Facebook has never had to cut back its workforce. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared to address the layoffs in a leaked video Wednesday afternoon, saying, “I want to say up front that I take full responsibility for this decision…It was one of the hardest calls I’ve had to make in the 18 years of running the company.” And… the company has signaled investors to expect further bad news in the fourth quarter. This comes after Meta announced a second straight quarter of declining revenue in October. Everywhere you look, big tech is struggling. Last week,… Read more →
Messaging vs. Reality
I live in California. Gavin Newsom’s main flaw is that he’s very stupid. Democrats are not getting destroyed on messaging. I don’t even know what the Republican message is. I know the Democratic message is “MAGA Republicans, extreme MAGA Republicans, fascists.” Now that is a losing message, I grant you, because Democrats who aren’t insane, for whom politics does not play a destructive force in their life, have friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, etc., who are Republicans and understand that while Republicans have different political views, they aren’t trying to put Democrats in gulags. Democrats are getting destroyed by reality. Republicans are running on GDP, inflation, lying about inflation, recession, lying about recession, gas prices, food prices, stock market, crime, border security, fentanyl deaths, energy independence, foreign policy, supply chain, social corruption, silencing, lies, pronouns and fucking with children. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe the Republicans could… Read more →
Put Away Childish Things
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. — 1 Corinthians 13:11 I’ve noticed in recent years what I’d call adult men playing card games and board games that seem to be intended for children. When I was growing up, men played adult games like poker or chess, maybe backgammon or checkers, Hearts or Spades. I’m not saying one way or the other is better for society, but . . . well actually, I guess I am. Read more →
Arrested and Conceivably Killed
To be fair, the plan to kill children is still under review. 🙂 Michael Beschloss on MSNBC warns America is just "six days away" from the end of democracy, historians, and the rule of law. And the start of a brutal GOP dictatorship in which our children could be "arrested and conceivably killed." https://t.co/4kFJuORA8r via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/SPByfPIV1k — Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) November 3, 2022 Read more →
20 Things You Don’t Have to Apologize For
You Never Have to Apologize For… 1. Removing someone from your life that repeatedly crosses your boundaries. ~Bonnie Romano 2. Being who we are, and feeling our feelings. ~Courtney Redd-Boynton 3. Trusting your instincts, even if you can’t explain it. ~Kate Willette 4. We should never apologize if we’re not truly sorry. I don’t believe in apologizing because someone ‘demands’ an apology. ~Olga Baez Rivera 5. Quality “me” time (taking care of ourselves). ~Nath Ray 6. Your opinion—there is no right or wrong opinion, and there’d be a lot less arguments if more people could just respect and appreciate different insights. ~Jennifer Werner Mader 7. Standing up for what you believe in. ~Michelle Galyon-Stallings 8. Living life the way we choose to, regardless of fitting in with other people’s norms. ~Tanya Johns Emery 9. Making decisions about your own future that don’t do any harm to anyone. No one should… Read more →
If I Had a Hammer . . .
My first thought on the Paul Pelosi hammer attack story was that it had to be fake. First, is it possible that the Speaker of the House doesn’t have the minimal level of security needed to prevent her husband from being assaulted in their own home? Second, I’m pretty certain that an 82-year-old man would not survive a battle against me and a hammer. I haven’t had any practice at it but that’s the point. How many hammer blows to the skull can an 82-year-old survive? I’d put the over-under at one. Paul Pelosi was heard to say after the attack, “My goddamn congressperson better do something about the level of crime in this city . . . oh, wait . . .” Third, “Democrats” and “violent crime” are becoming synonymous as midterm elections approach, so maybe there would be a way to find a high-profile story linking Republicans and… Read more →
Student Loan Prediction
I don’t think that’s a good prediction but it’s probably a good idea to make the prediction for the benefit of gullible idiots, aka voters. How much is loan forgiveness going to cost? $400 billion, something like that? Unless I’m very much mistaken, the president can’t just decide to spend $400 billion without the consent of Congress, which he doesn’t have. That’s not the way the system works. Time will tell . . . Read more →
Let’s See the Minnesota Twins
I saw these on sale at the Minneapolis airport. It’s maybe not obvious from the photo but they’re women’s cut V-neck T-shirts. Feel free to supply your own punch line because I’m not saying anything. Read more →
Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen File for Divorce
I may be ignorant about crucially important details obviously but it seems like the main problem from Ms. Bündchen’s point of view was that her husband had a job. First, I’m super against divorces for people with minor children. Second, there are just few if any people who are as physically attractive as Tom Brady, have the charisma of Tom Brady, have as much money as Tom Brady, and are as good at their job as Tom Brady. So if she’s thinking she’s going to upgrade her spouse, she’s almost certainly deluded or getting bad advice. On the other side, I can’t help thinking that Tom Brady would be able to choose from any number of fabulously attractive women to enliven his social life. Read more →
The Right Side of History?
No, are you a mental patient? I'd like to retire but can't because my 401(k) cratered and inflation is thru the roof. But keep drinking the Kool-Aid, MFer. https://t.co/K0mPszyWL0 — Paul Epps (@paulepps) October 23, 2022 Read more →
U.S. Economy “Strong as Hell”?
BREAKING Spokesperson for Hell disputes Biden’s claim that the U.S. economy is “strong as hell” Quote: “Data shows Hell’s economy is currently much stronger than America’s” pic.twitter.com/czwnQAMGCn — News That Matters (@ThatmattersNews) October 17, 2022 Read more →
Abolish the Police
Last night a POC tried to mug me. I said he was more than welcome to my purse or if interested in we could fool around behind the dumpsters over there. He ran away. It hurt my feelings but it’s proof social workers can handle these crimes. #abolishThePolice — Dr. Carol X Lunz PhD She/Him,GED Alumni,commentary (@marinasmigielsk) October 21, 2022 Read more →
How to Keep Poor People Poor
If you want to see the poor remain poor, generation after generation, just keep the standards low in their schools and make excuses for their academic shortcomings and personal misbehavior. But please don’t congratulate yourself on your compassion. — Thomas Sowell Read more →
Chess Game of the Day: Italian Game
One of my online chess games. White takes a pawn advantage, Black evens, then achieves a winning position, bungles it but wins on time (1+2 bullet game). Some annotations below . . . 8. …Be7 (8. …cxd5?? 9. Qxa8) 10. Ba4 White is up a pawn but Black is fine. 13. …Qxe3+ In hindsight, I like 13. …Nxb3 better. The actual move I think gives White a small edge, 29. Rf2? (29. f4 is a better way to block the Black bishop.) 39. c5? (39. Rc5 puts more pressure on the Black pawns.) 40. Kf2? (40. Kg2 looks better.) 40. …Rb2+? (Not as good as 40. …g4.) 43. …fxg4 Black has a winning position. 45. …h3?? Black wins with either 45. …Kh7 or 45. …Rc1+. White had 23 seconds left here but just ran out the clock. It seems counterintuitive but White can draw even two pawns down here with… Read more →
When You Want to Help People
“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.”Thomas Sowell. ?Anna Devís & Daniel Rueda pic.twitter.com/do0UwAY2s5 — Cecilia Qui (@CeciliaQui1) October 14, 2022 Read more →