AnthonyB's recent activity
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 11 in ~sports.american_football
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Comment on The final line in Los Angeles's holy trinity of future rail: Vermont corridor in ~transport
AnthonyB Link ParentFull disclosure, I haven't watched the entire video. Sorry if I'm repeating or contradicting anything from it, but from what I gathered, it's mostly focused on construction/planning aspect. Also,...Full disclosure, I haven't watched the entire video. Sorry if I'm repeating or contradicting anything from it, but from what I gathered, it's mostly focused on construction/planning aspect. Also, I don't have a background or significant interest in this kind of stuff, so this is mostly vibes based analysis from someone who lived just off of Vermont for a few years.
As you might have heard, LA is not so much a city, but a weird conglomerate of neighborhoods that sort of melt together. A lot of cities are like that to some degree, but when you combine that with the high population, the geography, and the freeway system that carves through neighborhoods, you're left with surprisingly few major surface streets that connect the different neighborhoods. Traveling between neighborhoods can be a real pain in the ass. One of my best friends lived 9 miles from me and the last time I saw him was at his wedding. In 2023. In Mexico.
Vermont is one of those major surface streets that connects several different popular areas. It runs through Koreatown, USC, South LA and Los Feliz, and it intersects with other major streets and metro lines that go through Hollywood, Silver Lake, DTLA, mid city, and eventually Beverly Hills. It's a convenient stretch, but it gets quite busy.
As you can see from your map, Vermont/Wilshire is major station, not just for trains, but buses as well. By LA standards, this area of Vermont has a ton of foot traffic and people who rely on public transit. Same goes for some intersections just north of there, like Vermont & 3rd and Vermont & Beverly. (Not so fun fact: there used to be billboards around there that said more pedestrians were hit and killed on Vermont Ave than all of Vermont the state.)
As you go further south along the proposed line, the blocks surrounding Vermont are much more residential. That area is lower income and a bit of a wasteland with regard to transportation options. If you take a look at a map of LA, you can see the more recognizable and expensive areas (Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Echo Park) are tightly packed and fairly close to the freeways and trains, then as you go south, there is a huge circle between the 110 and 105 that has nothing. There's no rail access nearby, so instead you're stuck riding the bus or driving on some very congested surface streets until you get to one of the perpetually congested freeways. Without a car, any trip that takes you from South LA to one of the existing train stops beyond Vermont/Wilshire would be quite a journey. Even if you have a car, it's not going to be very fun, especially if parking is a concern. So a line that goes down that stretch of Vermont will give a ton of people better access to the rest of the city and (hopefully) alleviate congestion on a fairly important street and a very important freeway.
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Comment on A Cloudflare outage is taking down large parts of the internet - X, ChatGPT and more affected in ~tech
AnthonyB Link ParentLose the "my" and you have a beautiful Haiku.Lose the "my" and you have a beautiful Haiku.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 11 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB LinkFRAUD WATCH 2025: 🚨🚨 🎶 BO! BO! BO! IT'S MAGIC! YEAH, BO-OH-OH! NEVER BOLIEVE IT'S NOT BO! 🎶 No PS2, no JK Dobbins, no passing touchdowns, no respect, no problem. Another last minute win means we...FRAUD WATCH 2025:
🚨
Denver Broncos🚨🎶 BO! BO! BO! IT'S MAGIC! YEAH, BO-OH-OH! NEVER BOLIEVE IT'S NOT BO! 🎶
No PS2, no JK Dobbins, no passing touchdowns, no respect, no problem. Another last minute win means we have officially entered the Tebow Zone for this team. Hopefully they take a leap next year (as the 2012 Broncos did) because history does not favor teams who win a lot of one possession games.
Overall, I thought this was one of the best games from Nix this season. 24/37, 295 yards, two sacks, no turnovers, and most importantly, only one or two boverthrows. It's not eye-popping stuff, but it was great to see him poised for all four quarters. I'm not sure what Riley Moss did to the head of officiating, but he gets some of the worst calls against him (though in fairness, he also commits a lot of penalties where he is guilty).
Now they get a week off after a rough travel schedule that had a Thursday game, a London game, and two 1pm EST kickoffs. Things are looking pretty good going forward, but they still have a ways to go with three division games, a game against the Packers, and a game against the AFC West destroying Jacksonville Jags. If Nix can settle down and play like he did on Sunday, and if Moss & co can cut back on the penalties, then this team might get the number one seed. I can't believe it.
As for the rest of the league, it was a fantastic RedZone/Witching Hour experience this week, especially in the 1pm slot. Allen and the Bills played great in an exciting match, the Bears dipped another toe in the Tebow Zone, and the Panthers and Texans both won on walk off field goals. Not sure what to think about the Seahawks. Are they amazing for almost winning the game despite 4 INTs from Darnold, or this what we should expect in big moments from him?
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Comment on Fallout | Season two official trailer in ~tv
AnthonyB LinkGhoulified Kings aside, I'm loving all the FNV stuff in the promotional material so far. I can't recall how people in the show sound in power armor, so the "There's a war coming," line sounds like...Ghoulified Kings aside, I'm loving all the FNV stuff in the promotional material so far. I can't recall how people in the show sound in power armor, so the "There's a war coming," line sounds like it could be from a super mutant. Maybe there's a little Jacobstown/Black Mountain? Either way, I'm looking forward to it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
AnthonyB Link ParentI like where your head's at. I've decided to start a dumb + easily distracted character on my next playthrough.I like where your head's at. I've decided to start a dumb + easily distracted character on my next playthrough.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB LinkThe first two episodes of Pluribus were about as good as I expected them to be. As the longtime driver of the Rhea Seehorn bandwagon, I'd like to welcome any newcomers aboard. There are drinks and...The first two episodes of Pluribus were about as good as I expected them to be. As the longtime driver of the Rhea Seehorn bandwagon, I'd like to welcome any newcomers aboard. There are drinks and snacks in the cooler, so help yourselves. We're getting our girl that Emmy!
Overall, it feels like we are in a bit of a lull after a decade+ of amazing TV. Sunday nights used to have 2-3 really good shows to watch, but nowadays I have trouble finding something to fill the time. Over the past year or so, I've been rewatching some of my all-time favorites and thinking about where they rank against each other.
There are plenty of contenders, but after finishing the first two seasons of Fargo, I think Fargo season 2 might be my personal favorite. Sadly, it is probably the least viewed out of any others I have in my personal top-10, so I'd like to make a brief case for why you should watch Fargo season two.
First and foremost, it has everything one could ask for, at least from a pure entertainment perspective. It has action, suspense, humor, drama, and a healthy dose of wtf/wild card moments. Unlike other shows that manage to strike that balance, Fargo never takes itself too seriously. Its purpose is to have fun first, but it will still get you hooked in the process.
Unlike S1, S2 doesn't have a lot of character development; however, it makes up for it with a deep cast of likeable characters and some decent themes about late-1970s American malaise and the incoming tidal wave of corporate capitalism. I love how the setting plays into the stylistic choices. If you haven't seen it, the opening title sequence of the first episode is a perfect spoiler-free example. The typewriter font and split screen cuts, mixed with Jimmy Carter's "Crisis of Confidence" speech and Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" is a thing of beauty. Every episode has at least one great needle drop paired with a groovy split screen to maximize impact. There is no need for subtlety, just take what you want and have it in excess.
I cannot recommend Fargo season 2 enough. It's a stand alone season if you're short on time, but for maximum effect you should watch season one first. Season one is phenomenal in its own right (most people probably put it above season 2) and it lays out some nice little hints about season two that add to the buildup. Ok then.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 10 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB LinkFRAUD WATCH 2025: 🚨🚨 DENVER BRONCOS 🚨🚨 The Lord continues to rest my bolief in this team. The offense leaves a lot to be desired but the defense might be special. They had a good showing against a...FRAUD WATCH 2025:
🚨🚨 DENVER BRONCOS 🚨🚨
The Lord continues to rest my bolief in this team. The offense leaves a lot to be desired but the defense might be special. They had a good showing against a struggling Philly team, beat up on some bad QBs, and had decent to mediocre performances against Indy and San Diego. We're 10 games into the season and I still have no idea what that means.
The nerds say they're at least better than the Pats, but the nerds also say Maye(beeeeeeh) is
gonna be the one that savway better than the Bover thrower extraordinaire himself. I'm inclined to agree with the nerds on that one. I can't believe the Patriots are good again. It's so unfair. I fucking hate sports. You don't get to have another franchise QB without spending at least a decade in purgatory! Fortunately, those who have skipped that process (Colts, Packers) have been cursed to under deliver. Still, if I have to watch Robert Kraft hoist another Lombardi trophy, I'm gonna lose my freaking mind 🦶 🗑️Anyway, bottom line is this: Denver is 8-2, everyone hates watching this team, and no one thinks they're legit. Can't say I blame them. Denver has a mini-bye after a pretty grueling schedule (travel wise) and is set to face off against the Chiefs who are coming off of a real bye. The only outcome that would surprise me is if Denver delivers a beat down over KC. That is almost certainly not going to happen. Denver has played KC well in the Payton era and was a blocked FG away from sweeping the series last year, but they've only beat Mahomes once in his career. I expect a close game that doesn't change anyone's opinion about the legitimacy of this team. Bo my god, I don't think my heart can take it.
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Comment on Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentIdk, I'm of the belief that the American left needs all the faces it can get right now. Not that these are your exact words, but I remember in another thread about him last year someone said...Completely ignoring I/P, he's a still a bad face for the American left.
Idk, I'm of the belief that the American left needs all the faces it can get right now. Not that these are your exact words, but I remember in another thread about him last year someone said something to the effect of, "I don't think he should be the face of the left." (This was back in the "we need a Joe Rogan" days) That comment always stuck with me because I don't think there is, or should be, a single face to define or represent the left. The left needs a shock jock/broey/parasocial guy like Hasan just as much as it needs a Jennifer Welch, a Briahna Joy, a Contrapoints, a Stavvy, a Van Lathan, or any of the other personalities that represent different cultures, sub cultures, and niches. It's a big tent!
We can do a whole back and forth thing about whatever grievances you have with the guy, but I'm more interested in finding out what/who you think is a good face for the American left.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 10 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentTrue, but those elections aren't going to happen for another year and they kind of already had that ammunition by way of the cr votes since the shutdown was explicitly over the ACA subsidies. The...True, but those elections aren't going to happen for another year and they kind of already had that ammunition by way of the cr votes since the shutdown was explicitly over the ACA subsidies.
The question is what did they have to lose by continuing to hold out? They're already opening the door to millions of people getting fucked by voting for this continuing resolution, so why not hold out longer while all of the pressure is on the Republicans? I think it's telling that none the Democrats who voted for this are up for reelection.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 10 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentAt this point I've come to expect dysfunction and incompetence from Republicans and cowardliness and fecklessness from the Democrats. So it was a real 'stoppable force vs movable object'...At this point I've come to expect dysfunction and incompetence from Republicans and cowardliness and fecklessness from the Democrats. So it was a real 'stoppable force vs movable object' situation. Deep down, I like to think that most people - myself included - expected this to end in some unfathomably stupid way. Yet, this was one of the more bewildering outcomes.
Now I'm just a simple man, but I imagine that if you're going to shut down the government for 40 days, the only way you agree to opening it back up is if you extract some concessions from the party in power. Otherwise what was the point of everything? Their big concession was a promise to have a vote on extending ACA subsidies. A vote that they will undoubtedly lose, if it even happens at all. Frankly, I don't know what would be more humiliating: losing the vote as expected or not getting it at all.
This is like if the movie John Q ended with Denzel Washington turning himself in and saying "I'm sure we'll find a heart somewhere. Now can we let bygones be bygones?"
Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone outside and in between, your 2025 opposition party!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
AnthonyB LinkI've been playing a lot of The Outer Worlds 2. There are some fairly significant changes to the leveling/items/gameplay compared to the first game but the overall vibe is the same. I really like...I've been playing a lot of The Outer Worlds 2. There are some fairly significant changes to the leveling/items/gameplay compared to the first game but the overall vibe is the same. I really like the flaws system, and for as much as it pains me to not explore every nook and cranny, it's kind of refreshing to have limits to your character. For example, my character is a silver-tongued gunslinger, so it makes sense that he's not going to be able to hack into computers, fix everything, or understand the science behind some wild space technology. The only problem is that you can't respec, and you don't know how high the skill checks are, so you might end up wasting some prescious skill points if you're flying blind.
Overall, it's fine. It's not a life changer, but it's pretty fun and the story/world are engaging enough to not press the skip button on everything. It's basically Avowed in space.
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Comment on Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentI don't really get it. Sure, if you're convinced he hurts his dog, then yeah, but people have been shitting on the guy for as long as I've known of his existence. I've seen other left wing/leftist...I don't really get it. Sure, if you're convinced he hurts his dog, then yeah, but people have been shitting on the guy for as long as I've known of his existence.
I've seen other left wing/leftist figures take heat - especially those who are social media figures - but usually it's over some ideological difference. And more often than not, it's coming from the hardcore lefties. With Hasan, it often feels uniquely personal. It's like he's a famous athlete on a rival team. People hate him the way I hate Draymond Green or Travis Kelce. I don't know of anyone else in that space who gets as much heat as he does. Part of the reason why I stopped watching him a few years back was because half the stream was him responding to people giving him shit about his house. The dog thing seems to be the latest in a long line of attacks.
I wouldn't say the hate is manufactured, though that may change now that he was the focal point of an anti-Mamdani attack ad. My guess is that it's a combination of the space he's in and his abrasive nature towards people he disagrees with. Twitch is mostly gaming (yikes) and home to some big time creators with dubious politics (double yikes). I was just looking at the top posts of LivestreamFail for the past year, and about half of them are about Hasan. I don't imagine I would think highly of someone if my main source of information on the guy is clips of him looking like an asshole (I guess that could be considered manufactured). If that doesn't turn people off, then I imagine that being called a dipshit for wandering in with a fairly standard liberal take about America's foreign policy might do the trick. Especially since it's coming from a big buff handsome dude.
The thing that doesn't make sense, or at least frustrates me, is how often the attacks come from other progressives/leftists. If he's not your guy, that's fine. But why cut down someone who, as you put it, is one of the few (and largest) voices that's pulling people away from right-wing/manosphere politics and towards progressive politics? My go-to small talk at organizing events is "what brought you here," and "Hasan" is one of the more popular answers. Pretty much every prominent journalist, media figure, and politician on the left seems to like him. The ally of your allies is your ally!
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Comment on Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent in ~society
AnthonyB LinkI'm coming up on hour 40 without sleep and I have so many thoughts that I can't formulate into a coherent point, but I feel like I won't be able to sleep until I puke some of them out in front of...I'm coming up on hour 40 without sleep and I have so many thoughts that I can't formulate into a coherent point, but I feel like I won't be able to sleep until I puke some of them out in front of you people. Apologies in advance.
You know that scene in Back to the Future where Marty plays "Johnny Be Good" at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance? The part where Marvin Berry calls up his cousin Chuck and says, "You know that new sound you've been looking for? Well listen to this!" That's how I feel about the Democrats right now. I, and millions of other people from all walks of life, are holding up the phone for Jefferies and Schumer, hoping to God that they will listen. Lord knows they need it. While the Democrats won big tonight - as is tradition - they are still very very unpopular.
About 13 months ago, I left another rambling mess of a comment about my fears that Kamala Harris would lose the election on account of her campaign's lack of a clear message. I'd link it, but who gives a shit, right? Since I'm just some dumb idiot, my big piece of advice/wish was for her to "just give us something." Something substantive. None of the dink and dunk means-tested bullshit that we've seen countless times, but something simple that speaks to the material needs of all working people during this period of unfathomable wealth/income inequality and high costs of living. Love him or hate him, Mamdani's campaign had that something. And because of that, he was able to go from an unknown state assemblyman to household name with a passionate base of supporters and a mind-blowing 100k volunteers.
The fact that a brown, Muslim, self-described socialist immigrant can pull this off against a hostile media and without a lick of support from the party establishment speaks to the power and potential of this brand of politics. Imagine if he had Barack Obama gassing him up for the past three months. Imagine if every liberal and Democrat pundit on the news backed him up the way conservatives back Republicans. Hell, imagine if every pro-Israel liberal said something like, "He and I might disagree about Israel, but that doesn't mean he's an antisemite," like the way Brad Lander did. I know this is the same shit that every other obnoxious Bernie supporter has been screaming for the past nine years, but we're starting to reach the point where Berniecrats are electable in spite of all the additional hurdles they face. Can we please please please just try putting these two things together this one time?
Obviously, the answer to that question is going to be no. Which begs the question: the fuck are we doing here? How is it that the two most powerful Democrats, who are both from NY, can see this once in a generation talent with Obamaesque enthusiasm and completely avoid him? Someone connect the dots for me please, because the only possible explanations I see are that (a) their political instincts are atrocious, and/or (b) Mamdani's platform goes against the special interests that they are beholden to. Either way, if things don't change, we're fucked. A patchwork of anti-Trump interests a la 2020 is not going to win enough congressional votes to undo the damage of the past decade. We're in big swing, need a movement territory. For all I know, our moment to get off this ride already passed, but if it somehow hasn't yet, this feels like our last shot. You wanna run a moderate somewhere where you think that is the only thing that works, then by all means go for it. But for the love of god, stop undercutting the left flank at every step.
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Comment on Dick Cheney dies at 84 in ~society
AnthonyB (edited )LinkAnd here I thought the only death I'd be celebrating today was Andrew Cuomo's career. Edit: To make this less of a shitpost and to preemptively address any efforts to humanize Mr. Cheney, a quick...And here I thought the only death I'd be celebrating today was Andrew Cuomo's career.
Edit: To make this less of a shitpost and to preemptively address any efforts to humanize Mr. Cheney, a quick reminder:
An estimated 3.6-3.8 million people have died indirectly in post-9/11 war zones, bringing the total death toll to at least 4.5-4.7 million and counting.
At least 940,000 people have died due to direct war violence, including civilians, armed forces on all sides, contractors, journalists, and humanitarian workers.
U.S. policymakers scarcely considered alternatives to war in the aftermath of 9/11 or in debating the invasion of Iraq. Many of those alternatives are still available.
The cost of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and elsewhere totals about $8 trillion. This does not include future interest costs on borrowing for the wars.
38 million people have been displaced by the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and the Philippines.
The costs of caring for post-9/11 war vets will reach between $2.2 and $2.5 trillion by 2050 - most of which has not yet been paid.
Post-9/11 war veterans are suffering a mental health crisis. At least four times as many active duty personnel and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts have died of suicide than in combat.
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Comment on Los Angeles Dodgers beat Toronto Blue Jays to win the World Series in ~sports.baseball
AnthonyB Link ParentThis reminded me of an old Bill Simmons column: The 13 Levels of Losing TRIGGER WARNING: POSSIBLY TOO SOON This was a level one, with both guillotine and stomach punch moments. At least his odds...- Exemplary
This reminded me of an old Bill Simmons column: The 13 Levels of Losing
TRIGGER WARNING: POSSIBLY TOO SOON
Level III: The Guillotine
Definition: This one combines the devastation of the Broken Axle game with sweeping bitterness and hostility ... your team's hanging tough (hell, they might even be winning), but you can feel the inevitable breakdown coming, and you keep waiting for the guillotine to drop, and you just know it's coming -- you know it -- and when it finally comes, you're angry that it happened and you're angry at yourself for contributing to the debilitating karma ... these are the games when people end up whipping their remote controls against a wall or breaking their hands while pounding a coffee table ... too many of these and you'll end up in prison.
Best Example: Game 7 of the '97 World Series (Indians-Marlins), when Cleveland's Jose Mesa gave up the game-tying run in the ninth inning. Every Indians fan knew it was coming. Of course, the '97 World Series never happened, so it's probably a moot point. We need to get that one wiped out of the record books.
Personal Memory: Just about every crucial Bruins-Canadiens playoff game from the '70s, especially the unforgettable "Too Many Men on the Ice" game in '79, when the B's blew a chance to advance to the Cup finals by getting called for one of the lamest penalties in hockey (Guy Lafleur tied the score in the final minute, then the Habs finished us off in OT). One of two games that actually made Young Sports Guy cry in the '70s (along with the '78 Yanks-Sox playoff game); I couldn't figure out how I was 8 years old, yet I knew the Canadiens were coming back. Just excruciating.
Level II: The Stomach Punch
Definition: Now we've moved into rarefied territory, any roller-coaster game that ends with A) an opponent making a pivotal (sometimes improbable) play, or B) one of your guys failing in the clutch ... usually ends with fans filing out after the game in stunned disbelief, if they can even move at all ... always haunting, sometimes scarring ... there are degrees to the Stomach Punch Game, depending on the situation ... for instance, Sunday's Kings-Lakers game and Monday's Celts-Nets game featured agonizing endings, but they weren't nearly as agonizing as Cleveland's Earnest Byner fumbling against Denver when he was about two yards and 0.2 seconds away from sending the Browns to the Super Bowl).
Best Example: Wouldn't it have to be the Titans-Bills playoff game from '99, when the Bills kicked the alleged game-winning field goal in the final seconds, then Tennessee pulled off that miracle Wycheck-to-Dyson lateral play for the game-winning TD (on the kickoff, with no time remaining)? Not only was that a Top 5 Stomach Punch game, it doubled as the greatest Gambling Moment of all-time (since Tennessee ended up covering by a half-point). That was un-beeeeeeeeeeeeeee-lievable.
Personal Memory: Magic draining that baby sky hook to topple the Celts in Game 4 of the '87 Finals, capping off a Celtics collapse and preceding Bird nearly saving the game at the buzzer (he missed a 25-foot prayer by about 1/100th of an inch). Fifteen years have passed and I still haven't fully recovered from that chain of events. Unreal.
Level I: That Game
Definition: Game 6 of the 1986 World Series ... one of a kind ... given the circumstances and the history involved here, maybe the most catastrophic sports loss of our lifetime.
Personal memory: The only game that actually combined The Guillotine and The Stomach Punch. No small feat. Let's just hope we never travel down that road again.
This was a level one, with both guillotine and stomach punch moments. At least his odds of going through something this bad again are pretty slim.
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Comment on Los Angeles Dodgers beat Toronto Blue Jays to win the World Series in ~sports.baseball
AnthonyB Link ParentThat must've been awesome to watch from a neutral perspective. I was neutral in 2011, which had one of the most exciting games I've ever seen. I never really had a team growing up, so I was mostly...That must've been awesome to watch from a neutral perspective. I was neutral in 2011, which had one of the most exciting games I've ever seen.
I never really had a team growing up, so I was mostly an anti-Yankees nomad until 2020. That was the year I moved to a place that was a few blocks from Dodger Stadium and watched Jon Bois's masterpiece on the Mariners. Since then I've been about 60-40 Mariners-Dodgers. This Blue Jays team took years off my life. My stress eating/nicotine lozenge consumption from tonight has to have cost me at least 6 months. When the post season started, I had Mookie's physique, now I look like Alejandro Kirk.
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Comment on Los Angeles Dodgers beat Toronto Blue Jays to win the World Series in ~sports.baseball
AnthonyB (edited )LinkThose tags. That has to be one of the worst losses in any sport ever. The Blue Jays outplayed the Dodgers in every aspect of the game and somehow let it slip through their fingers. When Rojas hit...Those tags.
That has to be one of the worst losses in any sport ever. The Blue Jays outplayed the Dodgers in every aspect of the game and somehow let it slip through their fingers. When Rojas hit the home run in the 9th I remembered that the Dodgers were the bad guys, because that was some shit that only happens for the bad guys in sports. Sorry, OP.
I was holding off on making a post about Ohtani's brilliance - really, it's unbelievable - but after tonight he somehow seems human compared to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If you told me about a team that won the World Series behind the efforts of a two-way player and a guy who started game 6 and closed game 7, I'd have guessed it was from the 1920s not the 2020s.
Alas, the World Series title is where it belongs. It's America's pastime, it belongs with an American team that's made up with the finest Japanese and Latin American players in the world.
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Comment on How Bill Gates is reframing the climate change debate in ~enviro
AnthonyB Link ParentNot to be pedantic, but vord through a "practically" in there before saying "impossible" which was probably intended to account for the handful of countries that have been able to claw their way...Not to be pedantic, but vord through a "practically" in there before saying "impossible" which was probably intended to account for the handful of countries that have been able to claw their way out of the bottom rung.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of October 27 in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentI highly encourage everyone to listen to the full remarks, which were linked to in the article. It hit home for me, personally. My grandfather was a Muslim immigrant from Iran, and most people...- Exemplary
I highly encourage everyone to listen to the full remarks, which were linked to in the article. It hit home for me, personally.
My grandfather was a Muslim immigrant from Iran, and most people only knew him by the western name he adopted when he left his home country. Some of his friends and acquaintances only learned of his real name at his funeral. When my parents told him that they were naming me after his real name, he was furious. "What are you doing? He'll never get a job!"
Throughout my childhood, I was proud of my heritage. In elementary school, I did my little world projects about Iran, I told people about where my grandpa grew up and where my cousins live, and I told people about my middle name and what my last name meant in Farsi. Then on September 11, I got a phone call from my dad, who repeatedly said, "If anyone asks, tell them you're Italian." I thought he was being overly cautious, as was often the case, but that's what he did in 1980 when people were vandalizing his family's home and calling in death threats. Thankfully, none of that ever happened to us in the wake of 9/11, but I can't fault him for being afraid.
Like Mamdani, my last name is spelled phonetically. Anyone with a third grade reading level should be able to pronounce it. However, like Mamdani, people somehow find a way to panic or butcher it. "Oh, I'm not even gonna try to pronounce this one. Is 'Anthony' here?" That's why my nickname in middle school was 'Beans' - not because I was flatulent, or obsessed with legumes, or, as many often thought in my racist ass town, of Mexican descent. No, people called me Beans because my friend's dad couldn't pronounce my last name and would play with it when he would greet me. To be clear, I didn't mind that at all, and honestly it was kind of endearing. What bothered me were the nicknames I got after 9/11 - towel head, camel jockey, sand n-word.
I should make it clear that I am white. The only people who ever clock my background as anything other than your run-of-the-mill Europea melange are either the most experienced racists or, for some reason, Turks and Armenians. Culturally, I am white. Aside from a few terms of endearment and some comfort foods, my grandfather went full-blown assimilation. For those reasons, I have never experienced the hatred, the harassment, or the fear that so many American Muslims experience to this day.
It has, however, made people feel quite comfortable expressing their thoughts about Muslims, Arabs, and Middle Eastern people to me. And in this country, those three are practically the same thing. My friends who jokingly called me racial epithets also said things like, "We should turn that whole place [the Middle East] into a parking lot." My teachers who couldn't pronounce my last name said things like, "They need to deport all the Muslims before we have another 9/11." I even heard one of my own family members (from the other side) say, "Every problem on Earth can be traced back to a Muslim."
Islamophobia is still a permissable bigotry in the United States, and the NY mayoral race is chock full of examples. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly attempted to tie Mamdani to 9/11, yet Mamdani has to do most of the answering for it. Curtis Sliwa accuses Mamdani of supporting global jihad and no one bats an eye. Imagine the reaction if Kirsten Gillibrand spoke of a Jewish or Black candidate the way she spoke about Mamdani. Was she censured like Ilhan Omar? Not even close. Even here on Tildes people feel comfortable writing things about Muslim and Middle Eastern nations as though the people there are somehow inherently violent or inferior. Though maybe that was a misread on my part. They might've been speaking about the culture. Gee, where have I heard that before?
Oh, you have no idea. The Chiefs are to me (36) what the Raiders were to my dad. Even before the Mahomes era, they were our biggest rivals, save for a couple Phillip Rivers seasons. I still have nightmares about Dante Hall. Mahomes dominating us while being the NFL/media's darling was brutal. On top of that, I've despised Kelce since his twitter beef with my guy Von Miller. I don't care how many tds he scores, he'll always be a fake a$$ Gronk to me.
I'm right there with you on Bo. The sample size is getting big enough now to where the clutch factor might be real, but the early parts of the game are still bad enough to raise questions about his future. I haven't seen a lot of Bryce but it feels like he's always going off in the 4th.