After reading about the exploitation and the shit jobs people are doing for the tech companies and billionaires, you better think differently about how great AI is.
This blog will host my ramblings about life. To be a bit more specific, I'll probably focus on these subjects: music, sports, food, the everyday beauty of life, and the comedy/tragedy/absurdity of our existence. That about covers it.
Friday, August 22, 2025
Random Notes from a Crank
After reading about the exploitation and the shit jobs people are doing for the tech companies and billionaires, you better think differently about how great AI is.
Music Friday: "You Get What You Give"
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Random Notes from a Crank
I got this meme from "Eat the Rich" on FB. It's appropriate. We only have so many natural resources and probably way too many unnatural ones.
In my job I have to work with first-year students, who are usually 18-year-olds. Their inability to use the basic "attach file" function of email is astounding. Yes, I know how that statement makes me sound old as Hell.
As reported in The New York Times, the enrollment of international students has steeply declined. President Adolf's hurdles have turned us into the United States of Xenophobia. Here's the article: "Trumps Tactics Mean Many International Students Won't Make It to Campus."
I dislike the statement, "It's been a minute." People try to make it sound funny, but it just sounds stupid.
This political cartoon by Nick Anderson is relevant to how President Adolf is trying to sugar coat the reality of slavery as presented by the Smithsonian.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Musing of the Moment: My Fantasy Football Draft
I took part in our league's annual fantasy draft at Buffalo Wild Wings on Saturday.
I've been in this 10-team PPR league for a good while. And I'm pondering how I did.
Since it's an ESPN league, they send you an email afterward with a draft grade. I got a B.
I wasn't thrilled about the draft spot I got, which was 7th. I would have preferred 9th or 10th.
Regardless, I usually just draft the best player available, and with the seventh pick, I drafted Lamb and picked Josh Jacobs in the second round. It's a snake draft.
I'm a homer for Alabama players, and I had Jacobs last year when I won the league.
In the third round, I went with Kenneth Walker because it sounds like the Seahawks are going to be run-heavy this season, and when he's healthy, he's good.
I have never taken a quarterback in the early rounds, but there was Jalen Hurts sitting there as my best available. I also wasn't thrilled with the RBs and WRs in that part of the draft.
I picked DeAndre Swift in the fifth round. We'll see how that pans out.
Even though I don't have to have a tight end in my league (we have three WR/TE spots with one Flex spot), Kittle was there, and he's one of few healthy pass catchers for the 49ers right now.
In the seventh and eighth rounds, I picked Ridley and Jameson Williams, respectively. I'm hoping Ridley breaks out with Cam Ward, and I like Jameson.
In ninth round, I went with Olave, who had a down year last season because of concussions. Someone has to catch passes in New Orleans.
I possibly reached for Jordan Mason in the next round, but Aaron Jones rarely plays a full season, and I'm hoping Mason takes over the starting job.
I snatched Egbuka in the eleventh, and if he breaks out like some pundits think, he could be a great value.
I got some good news today that Daniel Jones is going to start Week 1 because I selected Pittman Jr. in the twelfth round. Supposedly Pittman has a good rapport with Jones.
After that I nabbed Charbonnet to handcuff Walker and Drake Maye in the next round for the hell of it.
Then in the next-to-last round, I picked the Seahawks D, which I've already dropped for the Cardinals D in Week 1. I usually stream defenses.
And I finished it out with Alabama alum Will Reichard. I'm also a Vikings fan.
Random Notes from a Crank
This week's Existential Comic about William James is pretty good: "William James and the Train Robbery."
Friday, August 15, 2025
Music Friday: "Owner of Lonely Heart"
One of the people I follow on TikTok does videos on how a band's song is put together and produced.
He did an outstanding video on "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears.
Last night as I walking the dog I watched a video of him breaking down how "Owner of Lonely Heart" was arranged. Really interesting stuff.
I never bought any CDs from Yes, but I did enjoy this song that was in heavy rotation on MTV back when they actually played music videos.
And like the fellow said on the video, now I cannot unhear the cow bell in this song.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Random Notes from a Crank
- Percentage of Americans who fear that they or a loved one will be deported: 19
- Portion of Americans who say they have recently delayed a major purchase because of tariffs: 1/3
- Who say they have cancelled such a purchase entirely: 1/4
- Percentage of Americans who said last year that foreign trade represented an opportunity to grow the U.S. economy: 60
- Who say so now: 81
- Average number of instruction hours that it takes to become a lawyer in the United States: 1,250
- To become a licensed hairdresser: 1,500
- Number of excess deaths projected to occur by 2040 if cuts to foreign aid remain in place: 25,300,000
- Portion of people worldwide who say they would contribute 1 percent of their income toward combating climate change: 7/10
- Of Americans who say they would do so: 1/2
- Percentage of Americans who said that the Bible was "true" in 2016: 36
- Who say so now: 48
- Portion of Americans who regard religious leaders as trustworthy sources of medical information: 1/3
Friday, August 8, 2025
Music Friday: "Fear Is the Mind Killer"
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Random Notes from a Crank
- Beatles
- The Who
- Rolling Stones
- Jimi Hendrix
- Led Zeppelin
- The Doors
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Musing of the Moment: Celebrating Son Hueng-Min
Friday, August 1, 2025
Random Notes from a Crank
And Adolf's tariff's are unlikely, as the authors of "Trumps Global Tariffs 'Victory' May Well Come at a High Price," to do what he purports them to do: "But history tells us that his overarching aim - to return production and jobs to America - may meet with very limited success. And America's long-time trading partners, like Canada and the EU, could start looking to form economic and political connections that bypass what they no longer view as a reliable economic ally."
Jobs aren't going to return to the U.S. because of these stupid tariffs. Our trading partners are going to find more stable countries to trade with. And prices for Americans are going to go up because of tariffs.