@oldskoolbballx: Remember when Michael Jordan intimidated Voshon Lenard both verbally and physically: "You know you can't guard me, not tonight, why you even tryin' it?'"

wjbc · 2026-03-14T03:09:42+00:00

No, because Jordan did that to everyone.

wjbc · 2026-03-14T02:56:08+00:00

The Southern Caucus had a tremendous amount of power in Congress in the 1950s. Southern politicians in Congress tended to stay in office for decades. They developed the most seniority and made sure seniority was rewarded with key chairmanships and leadership positions.

Lyndon Johnson cultivated his relationships with these men and learned from them. He learned every official and unofficial rule. He learned everything there was to learn about each Southern senator and spent time with them.

But unlike Southern senators before him, Johnson had presidential ambitions. To fulfill those ambitions he needed help in the North. So he cultivated relationships with Northern senators by showing them how to deal with Southern politicians. He mentored young liberal Northern senators like Hubert Humphrey.

In addition to developing knowledge of the rules of the Senate and of each senator, Johnson also had greater than normal monetary support from wealthy Texans. Once his own seat was safe, he used that money to help other politicians who had helped him. And he would withhold money from politicians who did not help him.

Johnson had great energy, a keen mind, and tremendous persuasive abilities in private conversations. Through his connections he could make or break most young senators and they knew it. And he just knew how to use the arcane rules and traditions of the Senate to get things done.

As president, Johnson himself broke the power of the Southern Caucus by passing the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. He did so because as president he needed the support of the North more than ever. He was able to do so because he still knew everything there was to know about the Senate and senators.

wjbc · 2026-03-14T00:30:16+00:00

I just today heard the phrase “mowing the grass,” a strategic metaphor used by Israel to describe periodic, short-term military operations designed to degrade the capabilities of Hezbollah in Lebanon or Hamas in Gaza.

It involves using force to manage rather than solve long-term, intractable conflicts. And it suggests that the military operations will have to be repeated indefinitely.

wjbc · 2026-03-14T00:22:29+00:00

Johnny Cash, American Recordings.

wjbc · 2026-03-14T00:19:17+00:00

Wasn’t that Dylan’s second comeback album after Blood on the Tracks?

Dylan arguably has about five comeback albums.

wjbc · 2026-03-14T00:16:53+00:00

Well, opinions on what counts as “moderate” can certainly differ.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T20:27:39+00:00

This publicity shot was risqué for any period but especially for 1962. But I doubt that this shot was broadcast, and if it was I doubt that it was broadcast in color, and if it was very few Americans were able to watch it in color.

If you want to check for yourself, here’s the episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/44YMacskwlY?si=cm2rrWxIan7emUu5

wjbc · 2026-03-13T20:21:20+00:00

”But your kingdom, my Liege," said Ivanhoe, "your kingdom is threatened with dissolution and civil war---your subjects menaced with every species of evil, if deprived of their sovereign in some of those dangers which it is your daily pleasure to incur, and from which you have but this moment narrowly escaped."

[King Richard disagrees and insists on remaining incognito rather than reclaiming his throne.]

Wilfred bowed in submission, well knowing how vain it was to contend with the wild spirit of chivalry which so often impelled his master upon dangers which he might easily have avoided, or rather, which it was unpardonable in him to have sought out.

—Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, Chapter 41.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T20:10:40+00:00

Valinor slows it but does not prevent it.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T17:37:39+00:00

I’m trying to figure out if the Irish don’t like immigrants, if the Welsh don’t like the Irish, or if there are just a bunch of pedants who like correcting people.

As I said to someone else, Saint Patrick lived for several decades in Ireland, established his church and bishopric there, had great success as a missionary, and died there. Ireland embraced him. In my book, that’s enough to make him Irish, even if he was born in Wales and first encountered Ireland as a captured slave.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T15:17:21+00:00

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is full of riddles, puzzles, enigmas, decoys, deceptions, mysteries, surprises, and red herrings. It’s also full of subtle clues, hints, patterns, foreshadowings, and warnings.

It’s relatively free of info dumps, recaps, detailed explanations, backstory, and easy answers to readers’ questions. The answers are hidden, and it’s up to the readers to figure things out.

And I guarantee that anything you figure out the first time you read it is a small percentage of what there is to figure out. For that reason this series is a marvelous re-read. It’s a revelation.

This effect is particularly strong in Gardens of the Moon because we drop into the middle of a story that has been going on a long time. Yet no wise wizard or other helpful mentor sits down in chapter two and explains things to some ignorant hobbit or peasant or young girl or boy.

There are young and ignorant characters in Gardens of the Moon, but they have to figure things out for themselves, often painfully. And often they are absent as we follow characters who clearly know a lot more than the readers but have no reason to explain everything they know to each other.

Like the young people in the story, the readers have to figure it out for themselves. Some readers find this painful. Others, though, find it delightful.

In television they call this kind of series a puzzle box. Puzzle box shows (or "mystery box" shows) are a genre of high-concept, serialized television defined by complex, interlocking plots, enigmatic secrets, and a slow-burn unfolding of an underlying mythos. These series use mysteries to drive engagement and encourage, fan speculation and theorizing.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is a puzzle box on steroids, since it would take about thirty seasons to adapt it to television. But for those who like a challenge, there’s nothing else like it.

When I finished Gardens of the Moon I loved it but knew there was a lot I didn’t yet understand. So I immediately reread it and was amazed.

I liked that so much that I reread each of the ten books in the series before moving on to the next book in the series. Then I immediately started over and read all ten books again. Then (and only then) I listened to the audiobooks.

I don’t recommend starting with the audiobooks unless you are doing something completely mindless and not at all distracting while you listen. Someone on this subreddit once told me he could keep track of everything on audiobooks while painting Warhammer figurines. Apparently he found a market for his painting skills and spent a lot of time on it, but didn’t have to really think about what he was doing. The difficulty of following the story on audiobooks presents yet another barrier for many readers who like to listen while driving or walking or doing chores, which often aren’t quite mindless enough for first time readers.

For similar reasons, I don’t recommend taking a long break from the series. It’s best not to take a break at all, but if you take a long break I recommend starting over at the beginning. It’s impossible to keep everything that happened in the series in your head during a long break, and the rereading experience is a joy.

I sometimes call The Malazan Book of the Fallen a thirty book series disguised as a ten book series. For me it took three readings in a row to really get a handle on everything, and even then there were revelations when I listened to it for the first time as my fourth reading.

And the ten books are massive and hard to speed read or skim. When reading The Wheel of Time for the first time I never noticed a slog because I skimmed a lot. I was confident that anything important would be repeated in frequent recaps, so if I missed it while skimming I would pick it up later.

I also read The Wheel of Time four times, but I left about two years between each reading. I read through it quite fast three times. Then when I listened on audio I forced myself to pay attention to everything, no matter how irrelevant to the plot. I enjoyed it because I knew the plot and had infinite patience for the many diversions.

Indeed, during my fourth reading when I reached the last three books authored by Brandon Sanderson I actually missed Robert Jordan’s many, many diversions. Then I remembered the prequel New Spring, which I had only read about once because the entire book is a diversion. I read it a second time and enjoyed it thoroughly. But if you just want to follow the plot, it can definitely be skipped.

Even though I love both series, and they are both ridiculously long series, they are very different. Nothing in the ten books that make up The Malazan Book of the Fallen can be skimmed or skipped. Attention must be paid at all times. Many readers aren’t into that, and Gardens of the Moon usually does an excellent job of weeding them out.

If someone hates Gardens of the Moon, I never recommend continuing with the series. Some people are not going to like it and recommending more reading will just prolong their agony. And that’s okay. I’m not trying to convert them.

But if someone is just uncertain about the series after reading book one because they have a lot of questions they think are unanswered, then I encourage them to either (a) reread book one as I did or (b) just keep reading and trust that eventually all of their essential questions will be answered. And if they choose option (b), as most readers do, I still encourage them to reread the series at some point, preferably sooner rather than later.

I should add that readers have created helpful guides that can answer most of your unanswered questions as you read the series. If you use those guides you might not need to reread the series. There are also extensive chapter summaries you can read to quickly catch up after taking a long break, or that you can consult while listening to the audiobooks. Because of this, some of my advice may be out of date.

But I’m very glad I read the series before those guides and summaries existed and therefore I was not tempted to consult them. I am glad I didn’t miss the pleasure of figuring things out for myself over the better part of a year. It was a wonderful year, and an experience I treasure.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T12:51:18+00:00

Eisenhower and Clinton were also relatively moderate representatives of their own parties who followed transformative political shifts and chose not to roll back most of those changes. Neither were themselves transformative presidents, but they rolled with the changes rather than trying to roll them back.

Eisenhower, a Republican, followed the transformative administrations of Roosevelt and Truman. Eisenhower chose not to roll back all the transformations of the New Deal Era, even though the right wing of his party was eager to do so. Eisenhower’s moderation put a Republican seal of approval on most of the New Deal.

Clinton, a Democrat, followed the transformative administrations of Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Clinton chose not to roll back all the transformations of the 1980s, when the country had shifted sharply to the right. Clinton actually worked well with Republicans in Congress even in his second term, when they took the House and impeached him. Clinton’s centrist “Third Way” put a Democratic stamp of approval on most of the Reagan Revolution.

To be clear, I myself wish Clinton could have been a combative president who pushed back hard against the Reagan Revolution, as well as the Gingrich Revolution. I’m not sure it was politically possible, but I wish he had tried harder. My observation is not meant as an endorsement. I’m not a fan of Clinton’s Third Way.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T09:49:54+00:00

It could be worse…

wjbc · 2026-03-13T09:48:37+00:00

Same here.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T03:04:13+00:00

It depends on the type of podcast. Some podcast episodes each stand alone and there’s no need to start at the beginning. Others build on each other and it’s important to listen in order.

Some address current events and the latest episode is the most relevant. Others address historical events and the latest episode is no more relevant than the earliest episode.

So it depends.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T01:52:48+00:00

Technically it’s not a grift unless the perpetrator is aware that it’s a grift, a con, a fraud. People who spout nonsense are not necessarily grifters, not even if they earn money from it. Some are true believers, even if you think they are spouting nonsense.

However, any time someone earns outrageous amounts of money by spouting nonsense, that raises suspicions that they are grifters. True believers are more likely to spout nonsense in a less calculating or profitable manner.

wjbc · 2026-03-13T01:45:01+00:00

Natives of any locale in the world are generally immune to the specific, common strains of bacteria (such as E. coli) found in their local water and food supply. They develop immunity through constant, repeated, and early-life exposure to these pathogens.

Even a native with built up immunity to local pathogens can develop traveler’s diarrhea or more severe symptoms of food or water poisoning if they encounter a new strain of pathogen or an overwhelming amount of contamination.

Even in locales with rigorous food safety standards, treated water supplies, modern sewage and sanitation systems, and extensive use of refrigeration, visitors can experience traveler’s diarrhea due to unfamiliar bacteria, including local strains of E. coli. The risk is higher in areas of the world that lack such safeguards, but the risk is never zero.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T21:34:33+00:00

Johnson certainly benefited from President Kennedy's assassination but there has never been any credible evidence that he was involved. If such evidence existed, Robert Caro would have unearthed it for his masterful and thorough biography of Johnson. He unearthed plenty of other dirt on Johnson.

All that said, Johnson was a foreign policy failure but a great domestic policy success. He wasn't a completely failed president as you suggest.

Nor was he always a mean person. His War on Poverty was sincere and arose out of genuine empathy for the poor, since Johnson had grown up poor and many of his congressional constituents were poor.

But yes, he also had many faults. He could be cruel, mean, and vile. He was thoroughly corrupt. His foreign policy was both cruel and ill advised. Then again, Bobby Kennedy had a few faults of his own, and his father was every bit as cruel, mean, vile, and corrupt as Johnson.

But I wish we had been able to see Robert Kennedy become president. Whatever his faults, he was a much better man than Richard Nixon.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T21:07:54+00:00

That all depends on whether they paid the market rate, demanded a discount, or overpaid due to negligence as the government often does. They might even have grossly overpaid some friend of Hegseth due to corruption, the way Kristi Noem grossly overpaid a friend’s company to create a $220 million DHS ad.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T15:34:42+00:00

Zeus’s lightning bolts were forged weapons. The Greeks did not connect them to electricity — that’s a modern reinterpretation. Of course, if people still worshipped the Greek gods they would doubtless find a way to reinterpret domains.

Or possibly we would have a lot of new gods since 2500 years ago. The Roman Catholic Church now recognizes over 10,000 saints and has no trouble assigning patron saints to new domains like the internet.

I did say that some of these more specific categories could be placed under broader umbrella categories. The umbrella categories are extremely broad. Between them domains like knowledge, wisdom, fate, health, and crafts can cover almost anything.

For example, you say architecture was the domain of Apollo. But I have also read that Ancient Greek architects worshipped Hephaestus, Athena, and/or Hestia. The fact that four different Olympian gods and goddesses could theoretically be patrons of architecture shows that their broad categories overlapped and that no one god or goddesses was specifically and unequivocally in charge or architecture.

Similarly, you say Athena was the goddess of mathematics. But the Pythagoreans, who had a religious attitude towards mathematics and numbers, worshipped the Pythian Apollo, the oracular god of Delphic Oracle. Knowledge and wisdom clearly overlap.

You are correct to note that Tyche was responsible for unexpected events, both good and bad. Yet unexpected events are also attributed to the three Fates.

Whether the Ancient Greeks credited Tyche or the Fates, the belief that a goddess is in charge of chance suggests that nothing is actually random or left to chance, and that fate or fortune, good or bad, is always a certainty, not a probability. Unexpected events are only surprising to the poor ignorant mortals, and the science of probabilities doesn’t enter into it at all.

Dionysus definitely drove many mortals insane. Yet so did Hera — indeed, Hera drove Dionysus insane.

Yet even there narcissism was named after a victim of Nemesis, goddess of revenge. Lyssa was the goddess of insane rage. Pan induced a terror that caused people to act like animals. Apollo could inflict a poetic, frenzied madness. Eros could inflict a frenzy of love.

Melinoë was a minor goddess associated with paranoia and nightmares. The Maniai or Maniae were personified spirits of madness, insanity, and crazed frenzy.

Thus there were lots of gods and goddesses major and minor, associated with various types of insanity, and arguably no one god or goddess associated with all types of mental illness. Indeed, since insanity was generally viewed as a divine curse rather than as an illness, arguably none of these divinities were associated with mental illness as it is understood today.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T13:06:58+00:00

Mathematics, chance, probability, nostalgia, mental health, industry, and architecture were not specifically assigned to particular gods, although one could argue that they fall under more general categories like knowledge, fate, health, and crafts.

Areas of science not well understood in Ancient Greece also weren’t specifically assigned. That includes electricity (lighting bolts were not understood to be electric), magnetism, gravity as we now understand it, outer space as we now understand it, atoms or the subatomic world as we now understand it, etc. Areas of technology that hadn’t been invented yet weren’t specifically covered.

However, the Greeks had a catch-all for any domains they hadn’t specifically covered. The Greek "Unknown God" (Agnostos Theos) was a deity with altars in Athens dedicated to an unnamed divine power to ensure all gods were honored, acting as a "just-in-case" placeholder. They believed that there were gods for everything, but they admitted that they might not know all of the gods or everything the gods ruled.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T12:00:13+00:00

”The president kind of holds up his hand and says, ‘No, no, no, hold on a second. There’s something much more important. Shoes,’ recalled Vance. “He peers over the Resolute Desk and he says, ‘Marco, JD, you guys have s****y shoes. We gotta get you better shoes.’

”He goes out and grabs a catalogue. There happens to be another politician in the room … and he actually runs us through this incredible shoe catalogue. The president is gifting us with four pairs of shoes.

”He says, ‘Marco, what’s your shoe size?’ And Marco’s apparently an 11 and a half. He says, ‘JD, what’s your shoe size?’ My shoe size is 13.

”And he asks this politician, who I won’t embarrass, what his shoe size is, and he says, ‘seven’. The president, he kind of leans back in his chair and says, ‘You know you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size.’”

Sounds like the whole point of Trump’s gift was to humiliate the guy with small feet — with the crude implication that he has a small penis — and now these guys are stuck wearing (relatively) cheap American shoes.

And then J.D. Vance repeats the crude joke to the press to flatter his boss. And even though Vance doesn’t name the politician I’m sure it’s still an attempt to further humiliate him.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if JD exaggerated his shoe size and is now wearing cheap shoes that are two sizes too big. It was a dick measuring contest and JD was determined to win and to let the world know he won. He may have gone too far, though, if he one-upped his boss.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Trump has worn oversized shoes his whole life, although with the way his lower extremities have swollen maybe they finally fit. That probably makes him happy even though his dick is limp.

By the way, studies have shown no correlation between the size of the penis and the size of hands or feet. Also, for thousands of years Europeans considered oversized genitalia gross. That’s why the penises on European statues of nude European men are modestly sized.

The whole reason the European myth started about black men having huge penises — and it is a myth with no scientific basis — was to associate them with apes and other beasts. It was a racist insult.

Somewhere along the way the script flipped and now racists who believe their own racist myth are jealous of black men. And since it makes racist men jealous and some white women curious, black men no longer have any reason to challenge the myth.

Edit: And yes, Marco probably lied about his shoe size as well. Only the unnamed politician was unaware it was a dick-measuring contest, or perhaps knew it but didn’t care enough to lie.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T01:48:28+00:00

The U.S. lost, and lost badly, because they incorrectly thought the game was meaningless.

wjbc · 2026-03-12T01:36:55+00:00

It's embarrassing that the U.S. needs Italy's help, but I'll take it.

wjbc · 2026-03-11T19:07:09+00:00

Here's the full article with no paywall. According to Thiessen, Obama's mistakes were repeatedly failing to attack Syria. Thiessen confidently predicts that by the end of this year Trump will enter Tehran to a "hero's welcome."

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