Friday, July 31, 2026
Blue Shift
Yesterday was a BEEG day for the political fortune tellers, pollsters and cognos. Sabato's Crystal Ball has shifted thirteen House races in the direction of BALLOO, Charlie Cook has moved the Georgia Senate race from "lean Demo" to "likely Demo", and polls across the land show the wind blowing Left.
In Texas, James Talarico has a five-point lead on uniquely odious Jim Paxson.
For the state house in Austin, incumbent Greg Abbott leads Gina Hinojosa by one little peepy percentage point.
And in Jawja, Jon Ossoff is distancing himself from white wing challenger Mike Collins.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
USMLE Today
*Update
Medical terms learned today:
Ampulla of Vater
Sphincter of Oddi
11:13 am:
Second Pass (first step ?), blocks of twenty questions, timed, is INFINITELY more stimulating and interesting that First Pass, the "learning phase", where you should answer within three minutes and spend no more than an additional nine mins learning, i.e. reading the UWorld explanation, going the First Aid, etc. Second Pass-- </= 90 secs answer, research after you're done with the entire 20-Q block. I found, and I think Dr. Ana too, that in First Pass the first question set the tone for the day. If you got it right, you were motivated, but if you got it wrong, you were on a downer.
Ana is right there with her colleagues in her correct scores. Nobody, not Ana or her colleagues, have quite hit the 65% mark that you shoot for yet, but all the real med students are getting closer.
As for the non-med student--well, I had my best day!, 35% correct😒. My three-day average, 27%, right where I predicted.
BRAVO ANA, REAL STUDENTS!
Have you looked at these recently?
No other Gods. Why is it always about you?
Taking the Lord's name in vain? What, are you Jewish? Don't be so touchy.
Honor thy father and mother? ALL the time???
There's still a few of the original left for Judgment Day.
Though shalt not Insider Trade: think that would be a good update.
You're welcome.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Publoccians and Nons...
Sebs Duran, Sebastián Durán, is a Chilean immigrant who, in his own words, has "lived under a rock most of my life, so a lot of things are new to me." What better life to prepare him to be a "reactor"? Never heard of that niche, but he plays American pops songs that he has never heard before, by artists that he is unfamiliar with, and records his instant reactions live. It's actually a brilliant concept. He takes recommendations from members (of which I am one) of his YouTube channel. In his day job, Sebs works in sales in a music store, I believe. and plays music on the side.
I first came across his reaction vids at the time that I was recording my own version of Macarthur Park, MY FAVORITE SONG OF ALL TIME! Sebs did a reaction vid to that one (the original, not mine). I have checked in on him occasionally since.
This year is an anniversary of the legendary Jim Croce's death and I have a blog post set to publish on the date. Sebs has a moving reaction vid to the poignant, painful "Operator", which i watched. Sebs' reaction vids go from Dean Martin to Perry Commo to Gordon Lightfoot, the Eagles, you name it, from the '50's to the '70's and '80's. Anyone in early middle age or older will be charmed by this young man's reactions to our "Golden Oldies," to him, new discoveries. Take a look at his inventory of songs and choose your favorite and listen to a new generation react to them. You won't be disappointed.
Public Occurrences July 29, 2026
I don't know what Iran is doing. They cannot be trusted.
9:24 am:
Senator Call In😂
McConnell Should Call In For TV Interview or Go On Camera, Kentucky Gov. Says
The undersigned is an odd bird. He understands that. Why, to break his fast this morning he took the most sensual, delicious delight in nourishment consisting of Pepperidge "Hearty White" bread dipped in leftover wonton soup, washed down with a Llave colada. (I was typing this post when I wondered where Eleven was and turned my head and noticed her transmogrification into gargoyle.)
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Well, I have just laughed for ~ 15' straight...
...while Elevenish and I played our nightly game of "I'm gonna get that kitty", she writhing in her best imitation of Uriah Heep as I emerge from hiding, then segued to brushing my teeth to get ready for bed--cue for her to jump on the toilet water container, onto my shoulders and up onto the shower stall railing where her go-to act is to utter the woeful, forlorn noises of a female cat in distress, plaintively imploring me, who was just trying to "get" her, to rescue her from her predicament, adamantly refusing the six-inch leap onto my shoulders and safety even as she has made a flying cat leap from that height while I stood three feet away and who has defied death by making the Great Leap from that height onto the bathroom floor when I have left her stranded there (as I often have done). But tonight I find it mirthful to listen to the Drama Queen's comical wails before lifting her Daintyness onto my shoulders and to the solid safety of the floor.😂
😂
Exchange with a friend, who accuses Mayor Mamdani of "virtue signaling" for his desire, but not power, to arrest War Criminal Netanyahoo:
ah, i see. okay. i'll take pains never to virtue-signal again.
You haven’t
You don’t
At least I haven’t seen it
do i vice signal?😂
Many times
And I love you for it
😂😂😂
Public Occurrences July 28, 2026
3:10 PM · Jul 28, 2026
7.9K Views
😋
Kentucky governor demands that McConnell prove he is fit to serve or resign
“I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Gov. Andy Beshear (Democrat) wrote to McConnell.
Beshear made the demand in a letter after McConnell’s office said Monday that the 84-year-old senator had not yet been medically cleared to leave the rehabilitation facility where he has been undergoing physical therapy. The office said he would miss a major Kentucky political event and upcoming Senate votes.
USMLE Today III
I finished with 25% right answers, so don't go to me for a doctor. One time in print I estimated how many answers I would get correct on the actual test and if memory serves I estimated 25%-30%, that is random dart throwing plus maybe 5%. The usual UWorld question has five answer choices, so a 20% chance of getting it right if you just guessed. Twenty percent was my score yesterday. Some questions have six or more answer choices. At six, your random chance is 17%. We have had a few of the 6+ these first two days.
All in all, my cumulative score is 22.5%, about what I predicted. So yeah, I'm not opening up a practice lolol. Fun day, fun two days.
USMLE Today II
I don't totally suck! I've gotten three in a row right! I'm like buttah, I'm on a ROLL! lol
USMLE Today
Dr. Ana Rules!
I SUCK!
We're on Second Pass now. The regimen is a tranche of 20 Qs, timed. Ana was rested and sharp today; I overslept my alarm, started before my synapses started firing, couldn't process semi-normal (i.e. medical) language, my answers on two successive questions were 0% and 1%, accidentally misnumbered a question in recording my answers (so couldn't figure out my own score on all 20), so far have gotten nine out of nine WRONG, am only reasonably confident I got one answer right; Ana got 55% RIGHT of the whole 20!, AND WE'RE HAVING A BLAST! It's fun, it's a stimulating game, even Dr. Ana feels the extra adrenaline spur, and she is much better at the game than I am.
Monday, July 27, 2026
Public Occurrences July 27, 2006
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Izvassal Must Stop Occupation and Demolition of Homes in Lebanon
Volker Türk spoke to The Associated Press as he wrapped up a visit to Lebanon, his second in just over a year.
The visit came about a week before Lebanese and Israeli officials are to meet in Rome for talks on implementing a framework dealreached June 26. It laid out a plan for the deployment of Lebanese military forces in areas in southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, alongside the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has rejected the direct talks and says it will not disarm.
The above was key. So is the following, Izvassal's definition of self-defense meaning "revenge" slaughtering of civilians and displacement, and the killing of protected groups such as health workers and journalists, all of which Izvassal practiced and practiced in Gaza, as do settlers on the West Bank.
Turk said some Israeli actions in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, echoing criticism from other human rights groups over the widespread destruction of towns and villages, and the dozens of medical workers and journalists killed.
“Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law,” Türk said, describing what has happened as a “wholesale destruction” of civilian homes.
Three People Shot Dead at Seattle Space Needle
On LeBron, and on and on
"We built a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars." - Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, 2008.
"You're either getting better or you're getting worse." - 76'ers GM (then GSW GM) Bob Myers, 2017, after adding Kevin Durant.
When [Myers] helped build those dynastic Warriors teams as the general manager, he was able to do so from the ground up, with Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr as the ultimate cultural loadstones and perfectly interlocking components such as future Hall of Famers Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
The job in Philadelphia is very different. Myers...isn't building off a solid foundation.
the questions...in Philadelphia are very different from the ones he answered in Golden State, Myers applied the same "you're either getting better or you're getting worse" logic in replacing Morey, and adding Brown and James.
I have bad boding about one size fits all solutions and I don't nelieve that you either get better or you get worse is the one size that fits all. Right now, Philadelphia is a collection of all-stars, they are not a Team.
"I can totally see why they did it," one Eastern Conference executive said of the Sixers' moves to acquire Brown and James. "They're desperate. They needed to do something else before they get through to the next thing.
Yes.
"So getting Jaylen for what they got him for is a good risk. Getting LeBron on a minimum is outstanding.
Yes, too!
"What I'm not sure is why [James] did it. You've got a lot of guys who want the ball in their hands. Who's setting screens? Who's doing the dirty work? Who's defending? A lot of that is going to fall to LeBron, I think."
My thoughts at bottom.
Shortly after James made his announcement, 76ers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey posted a video of himself celebrating with the caption, "I'm like Coach Cal."
Rich Paul, and perhaps LeBron as well, sees "Coach Lebron".
He was referring to his former college coach, John Calipari, who has routinely landed top recruiting classes...
Maxey, who played one season for Calipari in 2019-20, was among a small group of people who got some inkling late Thursday night that James would ultimately choose the Sixers, according to sources. James has known Maxey for years and is represented by the same agency.
There are risks, of course. Two Sixers sources pointed out the potential disruption to the development of VJ Edgecombe, who showed flashes during his rookie season of the kind of potential to lead his own team one day. How much will adding two high-usage players in Brown and James take the ball out of Edgecombe's hands?
Shades of Jonathan Kuminga in Golden State
The NBA coach countered that Edgecombe will learn far more from Brown and James than he will be stunted by them, [But will Edgecombe know that? Kuminga did not.] and besides, "it's not like this team is going to stay healthy all year. The young guys will probably have to carry the load in the regular season anyway."
Embiid played only 57 games over the past two regular seasons, fewer than James played last season in his age-41 season.
"Honestly, LeBron is the guy who just proved the best that he's capable of playing a different role," the coach said. "None of those other guys has ever really done it."
"If this goes well, none of those five guys are going to average career highs," the NBA coach said. ...So the most important thing is going to be getting everyone to buy in. Getting everyone to forget about how the stats affect their contracts or reputations."
Embiid had extensive and meaningful conversations with James during the recruiting process, and has been trying to get James to Philadelphia -- at least in a tongue-in-cheek fashion -- since 2014. ...James considered joining the 76ers in 2018...
"It all comes down to Joel," one league source close to the situation said. "If it's Tyrese, VJ, Jaylen Brown, LeBron and Adem Bona, that's not a championship team. But if it's those four guys and Joel, that's a championship team. ..."
Paul acknowledged he even thought that Miami would end up "as the spot," for a long portion of a decision-making process...
What changed? Everyone denies that the errant "Heat" introductory press conference "tableholder" was a non-factor. But LeBron's camp was irritated by Commissioner Adam Silver pushing James to make a decision. The two are not that dissimilar. Maxey was a factor in the decision and he was ⚡️in his recruitment of James; Embiid, too.
Pat Riley said he wasn't going to "bug" Rich Paul with phone calls. One can imagine Riley's stance getting filtered down to Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Did LeBron want to be wooed? Did he want Pat Riley to beg? Well, Riley did not woo or beg and he said he wouldn't. I wrote previously that 601 Biscayne considers the franchise one that all top players should want to join. Like Alabama under Nick Saban. Or like Sheikh Mansour's Manchester City. They want to choose. They don't "recruit", not even "The Chosen One". Despite the past 10 seasons of 44-38, I see more truth than untruth in Riley's stance. But that is going to chafe LeBron, whose entire career has been about player power. Those two guys knew each other. I wrote also, "Do the 'Heat' really want LeBron?" Not enough to grovel, I concluded.
Something changed. Obviously I don't know what it was, but the basketball reasons were not it. For a long time in that "long time" where Rich Paul thought Miami was "the spot", the "Sixers" had Jaylen Brown. It says here, for what this is worth, that power was at the heart; the power not to be ordered around, the power to compel love. I don't blame LeBron for deciding that he would have more power and more love in Philadelphia, and I don't blame Pat Riley for deciding that LeBron had to fit the "Culture", not the reverse.
It would have worked in Miami. I don't know if it is going to work in Philadelphia, there are going to be some casualties, Nick Nurse, Jaylen, Edgecombe, but most of all "It all comes down to Joel". LeBron doesn't have the powet to keep Joel Embiid healthy.
"Honestly, LeBron is the guy who just proved the best that he's capable of playing a different role," the coach said. "None of those other guys has ever really done it."
[The anonymous coach was talking about the other "Sixers" stars, but he could have been talking about other superstars like LeBron. LeBron showed with La-La that he is capable of deferring.]
...
"If this goes well, none of those five guys are going to average career highs," the NBA coach said. "They're all going to play a different role than they have in the past or maybe that they want to. So the most important thing is going to be getting everyone to buy in. Getting everyone to forget about how the stats affect their contracts or reputations."
"It all comes down to Joel," one league source close to the situation said. "If it's Tyrese, VJ, Jaylen Brown, LeBron and Adem Bona, that's not a championship team. But if it's those four guys and Joel, that's a championship team.
[Adem Bona was the "somebody" I referred to in a previous post.]
🤷Idiots know things too, sometimes.
"What I'm not sure is why [James] did it. You've got a lot of guys who want the ball in their hands. Who's setting screens? Who's doing the dirty work? Who's defending? A lot of that is going to fall to LeBron, I think."
Sunday, July 26, 2026
Public Occurrences July 26, 2026
Jon Ossoff
This could be a comedic parody:
"I voted in favor of discharging from the Foreign Relations Committee S. Res. 41, a resolution of disapproval with respect to a sale of rifles to Israel."
Rifles? Aren't we a century or so beyond "rifles"? How about slingshots?
...
"I voted against discharging S. Res. 34, a similar resolution [of disapproval] with respect to a sale of air-to-ground munitions."
RIFLES, OVER MY DEAD BODY! Slingshots, maybe. AIR-TO-GROUND MUNITIONS, OKAY!
Philly needs a POLICEMAN!
-Rich Paul
Saturday, July 25, 2026
This poor guy
LeBron James' storybook ending? Why it's in Miami, not Cleveland
“It was a...decision...between Philly and Golden State and he just decided on Philly.”
That was Rich Paul, LeBron James' longtime agent and pal. Miami wasn't even runner-up!
It came down to a closing chapter of leisure playing with buddies Steph Curry and Draymond Green, or, as James himself said in the announcement, wanting the "grind", "to compete, to win...win another championship." So that eliminated Golden State. Shams Charania reported that the last major hurdle James had to clear was getting his family to go along with moving from La-La to South Philly (wonder why that was so hard).
Why did Miami take the bronze medal (if they didn't actually finish fourth)? James thought that the 76'ers were closer to a championship than the "Heat": Joel Embiid, Electric Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and then plop, Jaylen Brown fell into their lap.
Personal opinion now: I don't think there's enough ball to go around in Philly. I wondered about that even when they got Jaylen, who loves playing with the ball. Now LeBron. Dude, there's going to be a custody battle and fisticuffs over that ball in Philly. The "Sixers" roster is clunky...and that's assuming Joel Embiid (who also likes the ball) can stay healthy, which he hasn't done his entire career. These are the "Sixers" five best players now, in alphabetical order (so as not to start any preliminary fights): Brown, Edgecombe, Embiid, James, Maxey. You have three guards, a positionless who likes the ball and a post man who's a throwback to bump, bump, bump (with ball), ass in midsection, shoot. I repeat: there's not enough ball. With Joel at least you have a true center. Without him? You have Maxey, Edgecombe, Jaylen, LeBron and somebody. I sincerely worry about Joel's health. God forbid he has anything more than knock ups. But he has had so many basketball injuries. And then he's had an emergency appendectomy; he's had Bell's Palsy. Not basketball injuries. Joel has looked to me on the verge of physical collapse during games.
Of course, Miami does not have the talent across the board that Philly had before adding LeBron. But he fit there. Brian Windhorst seconds that opinion and wrote that a front line, what I dubbed a nascent Great Wall, of LeBron, Bam, and Giannis reasonably could be the greatest front line ever put on hardwood. There is zero doubt in my mind that the "Heat" will find shooters. You're going to be able to get shooters. Getting a playmaker, Pat Riley's designated Job One, should be easier than previously, although Miami hasn't had one since Goran Dragic. But the roster even now, without LeBron, has a recognizable basketball shape. That's a team, not just a collection of fan-voted All-Stars. Giannis is all-world. Team him with Bam down low and that's a very formidable defensive and offensive duo. Put simply, there's enough ball to go around on the shores of Biscayne Bay.
Personal opinion conclusion: LeBron made the wrong choice to win another ring. I honor his decision and his IQ. Not everyone does. 601 Biscayne is reportedly furious. Oh, grow up. I love LeBron and hope that if it's not the "Heat" that it's his "Sixers" who win a championship in the next couple of years.
Godspeed, LeBron. 🫶
