[Guest post by hit and run*]
2015 marks the first season in 20 years that the New York Yankees roster does not feature Derek Jeter. Jeter played his entire career with the Yankees and was the team captain from 2003 until he retired last year. He had a hall of fame career and was perhaps best known as one of the most clutch players the game has seen. Helping lead the Yankees to five World Series titles, Jeter was beloved by many in New York and by Yankees fans everywhere. Even if one hated Jeter as an opponent, any true fan of the game respected the way he played. Jeter was the face of the Yankees and carried that role with a level of class that any team would love to have.
Alternately, after a one year suspension due to PED use, the Yankees roster once again boasts Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has gotten off to a hot start in the first few weeks of the season. This will almost certainly be a milestone-laden year for A-Rod, barring injury (or another suspension).
- Earlier this season, Rodriguez passed Jeter for ninth place in all-time runs scored in Major League Baseball history. 21 more runs and Rodriguez will pass Stan Musial for eighth place all-time.
- Rodriguez is 17 RBI away from passing Lou Gehrig and Barry Bonds to move into third all-time in that category.
- Rodriguez is two home runs from catching and three from passing Willie Mays for fourth place in all-time home runs.
- Rodriguez is 49 hits away from becoming the 29th player in MLB history to reach the 3,000 hit club. Assuming a full season, A-Rod should pass Craig Biggio to reach 20th place in all-time hits.
Now, because this is A-Rod and this is the Yankees, there is a catch to all these milestones. That is - there is language in his contract that triggers bonuses for reaching milestones, and as of right now, the Yankees and Rodriguez don't exactly see eye to eye on which milestones trigger what bonuses. The issue may end up with the Yankees refusing to pay, and Rodriguez filing a grievance with the league to try and force them to pay.
Well, the Yankees are never not entertaining, I guess.
In any event, Derek Jeter is gone and Alex Rodriguez is taking over as the face of the New York Yankees.
Play ball!
My comment at the end of the about to go dormant thread.
Kim-I think you'll appreciate where the "believe it anyway and act accordingly" edict actually comes from and why. http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/meaningful-learning-or-internalized-hammer-and-sickle-style-habits-of-mind-and-behaviors/
I also believe that the 86 act was intended by Kennedy and his desire to push what he saw as in the USSR's interest (as laid out in the book Dupes) to change the voting population in this country to make a different kind of future majority the reason for a different kind of K-12 and higher education. It was of course the same vision as before but a new rationale. It was also a rationale that was hoping to piggy back on civil rights laws. Precisely what this administration has done in earnest.
Posted by: rse | April 20, 2015 at 11:29 AM
No more "just past the reach of a diving Jeter"? Oh the huge manatee.
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 11:32 AM
I don't think Maguire likes your link to last page. He quickly podts after as though preempting.
Posted by: Ben | April 20, 2015 at 11:35 AM
Yeah, yeah, next time I get a paper cut I am keeping you away from the lemon juice.
Meanwhile, it is Youth and Energy versus Age and Injury; Hope and Change versus More of the Same; Bursting Out of the Gate versus Rolling Into a Ditch.
NO, I don't mean Rubio v. Clinton. Nor (in an embittered flashback) do I mean Obama v. McCain.
Obviously I refer to the Mets v. Yankees in the battle for New York. And I am on the wrong side.
Posted by: Tom Maguire | April 20, 2015 at 11:37 AM
can we prorate the number of runs, when he was on PEDs, doesn't seem like a fair benchmark,
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 11:41 AM
Heh.
Well, I thought about leaving off the "Guest Post by" on this one - in the sure hope of catching someone thinking it was you, TM.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | April 20, 2015 at 11:43 AM
narc:
can we prorate the number of runs, when he was on PEDs, doesn't seem like a fair benchmark,
Maybe there's a parallel here between A-Rod, and he who Taranto refers to as President Asterisk. I had thought about working the asterisk angle into the post - but it was just past my glove when I dove for it.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | April 20, 2015 at 11:46 AM
A Rod the face of the Yankees. How apropos.
Posted by: matt | April 20, 2015 at 11:49 AM
Either the records of the guys caught cheating mean nothing or all of the records mean nothing.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | April 20, 2015 at 11:53 AM
that's hpw I see it, otherwise it's like the East German olympic team,
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 12:03 PM
Shocking that a sport which has a DH in only one league would deal ineffectively with PEDs.
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM
The records mean something Ig, as long as fans continue consuming 15 dollar tube-steaks.
Posted by: Ben | April 20, 2015 at 12:10 PM
I'll be lenient and say a 15% penalty, adjust the records,
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 12:13 PM
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/2015/04/16/watch-sox-fan-throw-beer-yankees-fan-face/vUMvDXmLdJ4Bsy17BfpVHK/story.html
I denounce this behavior a little.
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | April 20, 2015 at 12:14 PM
All I have to say to the pathetic REd Sox fans who can't help but act out in infantile aggression is, come talk to me when your team has even half as many World Series titles as the Yankees, which, if they somehow maintasin their current rate of two a decade, would happen some time in the 2040's.
Posted by: James D. | April 20, 2015 at 12:20 PM
Somehow this won't get the Sheehan level of coverage:
http://weaselzippers.us/221231-open-letter-from-first-navy-seal-to-die-in-iraq-to-gen-martin-dempsey/
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 12:27 PM
So....
Does TM, as a good Yankees fan, hate the resurgent Mets and root for the strangely (if temporarily) resurgent Atlanta Braves in their series this week? Or is he just a New York fan above everything, and figure it is time for the Braves to go compete with the Phillies for the cellar...
Posted by: Appalled | April 20, 2015 at 12:28 PM
I can't speak for TM, but as a good Yankees fan myself, I consider the Mets more of an annoyance than an object of hate. They're just not important enough to really work up a good hatred over.
Posted by: James D. | April 20, 2015 at 12:30 PM
Hope you are well and just busy, TM. We love hit but your absence is missed.
Posted by: clarice | April 20, 2015 at 12:31 PM
James D., if you've ever been to Fenway, the infantile aggression is almost exclusively the domain of the people wearing NY crap.
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | April 20, 2015 at 12:35 PM
I believe that, DaveinMA. But I have to talk a little smack.
And surely you won't begrudge me dredging up the past and retreating into it, since the present and forseeable future for the Yankees is not terribly promising.
Posted by: James D. | April 20, 2015 at 12:38 PM
Are the Mutts the real deal or just a ticking time bomb waiting to melt down in the most hilarious manner possible? Didn't the Wilpons make money off Madoff while everybody else took it up the wazz? With GOPe stalwarts like the Wilpons and Woody Johnson in charge of the Mutts and the J-E-T-S is there any wonder why NYC is solid blue?
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 12:45 PM
I think that the Mets are this year's version of the 2014 Milwaukee Brewers. A fast start does not guarantee a strong finish. Moreover, the Mets appear to have been a bit lucky in the early going and are statistically a 7-6 team and not a 10-3 team. Of course, they could be the surprise team of the year and are almost certain to be better than last year, but I think they will be watching baseball on TV in October.
Posted by: Theo | April 20, 2015 at 12:55 PM
CH, I think I remember reading that the Wilpons got fleeced by Madoff, too.
Posted by: James D. | April 20, 2015 at 12:55 PM
James D.
As I understand the Madoff/Wilpon issue, as in most Ponzi schemes, the early investors do pretty well and the latecomers get hosed. Wilpon was in early and therefore did okay in terms of the actual investments. However, many of the latecomers sued seeking to get some of their losses back from those who had profited by the scheme, such as Wilpon. IIRC, Wilpon ended up settling for a bunch of coin, but was not ruined by the experience, but there may be more chapters to be written in this saga.
Posted by: Theo | April 20, 2015 at 12:59 PM
you can't put A Rod in the same category as Musial and Mays, not if the records mean anything,
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 01:07 PM
This looks a lot like "inside baseball" to me. Zzzzzzz.
Posted by: Cecil Turner | April 20, 2015 at 01:14 PM
James D., I can't hold it against New Yorkers being Yankee fans and cheering for the local laundry. As far as I can tell by the accents, most of the obnoxious Yankee fans around here are from the Boston area; they graduate from torturing small animals as children, I guess.
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | April 20, 2015 at 01:16 PM
Lest these comment stay too in-field and on-topic
http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-death-of-left.html
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 01:18 PM
and Kramer's crew is never wrong, except nearly always:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/13118322/1/why-jon-corzines-plan-to-start-a-hedge-fund-makes-perfect-sense.html?cm_ven=RSSFeed
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 01:18 PM
Baseball is not Zzzzzzz.
GOLF is Zzzzzzz.
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | April 20, 2015 at 01:19 PM
Cecil:
This looks a lot like "inside baseball" to me. Zzzzzzz.
My other topic was going to be a recap of the American Country Music awards last night. Ah, what might have been.....
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | April 20, 2015 at 01:21 PM
Aw, man. I missed the country music awards again? That's like, the 50th time in a row, or something.
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | April 20, 2015 at 01:25 PM
but it's a good deal, so said Lando:
http://rightwingnews.com/iran/iran-foreign-minister-were-totally-ready-to-move-on-and-discuss-the-wider-persian-gulf-region/
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 01:25 PM
Miranda Lambert took home a lot of awards.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | April 20, 2015 at 01:27 PM
and then there was this part:
http://news.yahoo.com/acm-awards-2015-alan-jackson-performs-where-were-031113415.html;
Posted by: narciso | April 20, 2015 at 01:28 PM
How did Jon Corzines avoid Jail.
With his record, who in the world would invest with him?
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 02:02 PM
That's like, the 50th time in a row, or something.
Heh. At least with golf, you get to watch the grass grow. (Most ball parks now, too, I suppose.)
Posted by: Cecil Turner | April 20, 2015 at 02:05 PM
Not baseball, but drugs were used in large quantities Sen Baldwin's aide filing ethics case against the Senator. Tomah VA scandal.
Baylor alleges the senator and her staff have “disparaged the truth in order to cover up Murat’s actions” and to protect Baldwin’s political career.
Murat is Baldwin's chief of staff.
Posted by: henry | April 20, 2015 at 02:05 PM
Narc --
The issue of A Rod vs. Mays vs. Musial can open all sorts of worm cans. A Rod has a lot of detractors as a human being, but it cannot be denied that he was in his prime a GREAT baseball player (and for now appears to be still a good one).
If you look just at statistics, one could argue that A-Rod is comparable to Musial in terms of producing wins for his baseball teams. It is not beyond the realm of reality that he might even pass him before his career is over. Mays is at another level and beyond argument a greater player than A-Rod.
Naturally, there is some hesitation to give A-Rod full credit for his stats because of allegations of chemical enhancement. This is a bigger problem than evaluating A Rod and there are no good answers for how to deal with it.
In time, I suspect that people will remember the greatness on the field and let the rest of it go with a bit of a sigh.
Posted by: Theo | April 20, 2015 at 02:08 PM
Henry @02:05.
Making false statements?
The Senator is a Democrat, what other kind of statement would you expect?
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 02:20 PM
Tornado warning with the hook echo headed for rse. Take cover.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 02:22 PM
The ewok meets the GOPe:
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=356275
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 02:27 PM
A rod's stats are radioactive, just as are Canseco's, McGwire, Bonds, Clemens and the rest of the roiders. Take them away and let them have their own little Hall of Cheaters.
Track & Field and other sports have become jokes because of the rampant drug use.
The only thing you can trust anymore is girl's AYSO soccer.
It's still only April so hope still springs eternal. maybe my Angels won't fade in the playoffs, or not.
Posted by: matt | April 20, 2015 at 02:27 PM
John's creek bill is in the path also. It's gonna go north of us by about 10 miles.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 02:30 PM
stephanie-alarms going off. I suspect lots of people will be going home early.
Now if I go in my Christmas closet I am really underground with no windows.
Posted by: rse | April 20, 2015 at 02:32 PM
Meanwhile, the Obama regime is forced to step in and help these poor :
http://watchdog.org/212919/union-bosses-2014/?preview_id=212919
Some 472 of the poor union leaders are forced to try to get by with incomes of $250,000 up to more than $500,000.
Times are tough--
So the Obama regime is educating the poor illegals to kick in and help.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/08/nlrb-educating-foreign-workers-on-union-rights-critics-see-shield-for-illegal/
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 02:34 PM
pagar-did I mention that one of the parents doing the Ivy League tour was wearing an SEIU purple jacket?
No need for financial aid there. Plus it appeared to be a DiBlasio type diverse family.
Actually the family was quite nice, but if what colleges were looking for was a pinball game the bells and lights would be very bright and noisy.
Posted by: rse | April 20, 2015 at 02:42 PM
It's just thundery in the distance here. The alarms went off but the county is so large they are useless for us. Will miss us by 10-15 miles northwest.
Pagar, are you on the gulf or Pacific side of Panama? Saw a show last night on Bocas del Toro that looked promising for an island takeover by Jomo tribe.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 02:44 PM
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/20/navy-officials-us-warship-heads-to-yemeni-waters-t/
Posted by: clarice | April 20, 2015 at 02:48 PM
TomM/JamesD et al-- Mets fan since '63. Here's the story. The Mets have a lot of good players, but beyond pitchers Harvey and deGrom, no stars. They have tremendous organizational depth thanks to the Sandy Alderson regime; that front office is top tier in baseball. That depth will be tested by the avalanche of injuries they've suffered in the past 4-5 weeks alone. They have a relatively low ceiling of 88 wins max, but a very high floor of about 80 wins. The Skanks are a potential mess or good. They can win anywhere from 75 to 95 games. Mets fans delight in the fact that the Yanks best player is A-Roid, and their 2 'best' pitchers make almost 50% of Mets total payroll. The Wilpons have no $$$ to put into the Mets. The payroll is basically frozed at $100M, bottom third of MLB because of huge debt service. The Wilpons were 'net winners' from Madoff, so the bankruptcy trustee brought a 'clawback' action against the Wilpons to recover ALL outlays from Madoff. That was settled for a a $75M payment, a fraction of what the Trustee sought. The Wilpons are therefore 'zombie' owners. Not insolvent, but no cash to invest either.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 02:55 PM
This will help the warm fuzzy feelings of so many JOMers for jeb.
http://www.climatedepot.com/2015/04/19/watch-jeb-bush-endorses-un-climate-treaty-we-need-to-work-with-the-rest-of-the-world-to-negotiate-a-way-to-reduce-carbon-emissions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ClimateDepot+%28Climate+Depot%29
Posted by: rse | April 20, 2015 at 03:05 PM
Pfft. All the storms are training and staying north of us. If we're gonna get the alarms, the least they could do is give us a lovely lightning show.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 03:10 PM
actually I support EVERYONE reducing CO2 emissions as the USA has been doing for decades. Reducing CO2, especially on a per capita basis, reflects an advancing techno society, and good conservative stewardship. CO2 is an emission which can be reduced by efficiencies and technology switches. Reducing CO2 emissions is not a controversial issue for me.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 03:12 PM
Why do you want plants to die, MK? ;)
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 03:17 PM
NK --
Thanks for the details on Wilpon and Madoff. I had a basic understanding of the outcome (see above @12:59), but not the particulars.
I do not think that the Mets have a "floor" of 80 wins. A lot can happen. But I agree that they are LIKELY to finish with more than 80 and less than 90. I would think that the Yankees are pretty similarly situated. I just do not see 95 wins there, but they could contend for at least a wild card.
Posted by: Theo | April 20, 2015 at 03:19 PM
Howie Carr just opened his show by discussing Patriots Day in the states of Massachusetts and Maine,because Maine was part of Massachusetts. In 1820 the northern region of Massachusetts entered the union as the free state of Maine as a result of the Missouri Compromise. He said,if you're a under a certain age,you don't know that fact,because American history isn't properly taught.
Posted by: Marlene | April 20, 2015 at 03:21 PM
I'm probably older than Howie and I didn't know that fact, Marlene, altho I do know you share the holiday with me.
Posted by: Jane | April 20, 2015 at 03:24 PM
Oh, please. CO2 is what we breathe out. Very useful for plants and trees. It is also useful as a molecule that easily binds with more dangerous stuff and renders those substances harmless. I'm more concerned with sulfur, acids and stuff that harms the environment instead of nourishing it. Of course, we largely eliminated those problems in the 70-80s, so the envirowhackos need to find new "dangers" to dial up to eleventy to justify their existence.
The weather dudes would be more trustworthy if they would stop touting how their radar is better than their competitors whilst hyping the storms they are covering. These storms are dangerous and we can show it better. Raspberries.
I'm in a get off my lawn kinda mood day.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 03:25 PM
Lyle-- obviously you're not serious, plant life did fine with pre-industrial CO2 levels. Most food providing plant output is generally insensitive to marginally higher CO2. Nitrogen and H20 increase yield from those staple plants. We derive no real benefit from CO2, so emissions are a by-product that should be reduced wherever feasible. Of course, feasible being the key question.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 03:30 PM
Take shelter now and don't forget you heard it here first! If you survive, you'll want to endorse our NEW! Improved! Radar warning system that those clods don't have and who must want you dead! since they don't care enough to copy our awesomeness.
I'm surprised he's not covered in logos and sponsored by Home Depot for all my home repair needs.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 03:32 PM
I infer NK is advocating the reduction of CO2 as a natural byproduct of a free and open market advancing efficiencies not as a target or primary effort of any society.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | April 20, 2015 at 03:32 PM
Of course there are industrial by-products that take precedence over CO2, airborne particulates being an obvious one. Those Chinese coal fired electric generating plants being a prime example.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 03:33 PM
Societ contributes as it has traditionally Ig-- technology sharing, adopting trade agreements which impose minimum standards of production etc. Of course, all this has a bad name today because of grifters like Steyer who use 'clean' energy as a rent-seeking way to make their next billion.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 03:36 PM
Perhaps my inference was incorrect.
Plants may gain little benefit from marginal increases in CO2 but they increases of the last 100 years have not been marginal if by marginal you mean small and not merely "on the margin".
Moreover we benefit from many varieties of plant life not just food providing ones.
And of course if higher CO2 does have a small warming effect, as it seems to, then one benefit might be a delay in 5000 feet of ice on top of your house, NK, which seems like more than a marginal benefit.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | April 20, 2015 at 03:37 PM
CO2--from ALL sources, man and nature--currently constitutes about 0.04% (400 parts per million) of the atmosphere. Quite the little magic molecule.
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 03:40 PM
Uh, breathing, nk. We derive lots of benefit from that.
Too much h2o is bad for plants. They drown and get mold and root rot.
Co2 in larger quantities ups their production of sugars and cellulose and results in healthier plants - it doesn't kill them. Ever been in a hydroponics lab? some pump in nitrogen and CO2.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 03:42 PM
Stepanie,
If you look at the map link and see where the the Canal is you will see the word Panama in Larger letters. On your left hand side is the town of La Chorrera. From our back patio , we look down into
The Bay of Panama where we can see ships waiting to enter the Canal. I have no idea what the distance is to those ships but I expect it is 30 miles plus.
We are on the Pacific side.
Bocas del Toro is a long way away and very low
I like the higher ground.
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 03:45 PM
That giant, gaseous, ball of burning hydrogen 93 million miles away from Earth? And all those solar cycles? Let's just ignore all that.
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 03:45 PM
CO2--from ALL sources, man and nature--currently constitutes about 0.04% (400 parts per million) of the atmosphere. Quite the little magic molecule.
It's almost like somebody with a huge sense of humor advised those clowns to go full retard on this.
Posted by: Captain Hate | April 20, 2015 at 03:52 PM
Ig-- without turning this into WUWT increased vegetation growth rates of the past 150 years are the result, primarily, of a warmer and wetter climate yielding more farmable land, and increasing yields/acre (fertilization and soil matter being equal) Is the warmer climate the result of CO2 emissions?, in part, perhaps, but that is an awfully, but to say reducing CO2 reduces temps and decreases farm yield like a thermostat plays into the hands of the CO2Merchants and is factually incorrect.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 03:53 PM
Now if my 03:45 comment actually had the link.
that is here.
http://www.panamarailroad.org/maps/panama-map.jpg
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 03:56 PM
Those ppms, tiny numbers, but within a certain logarithmic range they have a massive effect, as in the difference between an ice ball in orbit or, the verdant earth. Here's WUWT's 'greenhouse gas' primer, it's very good. Understanding the logarithmic effect of CO2 debunks a lot of frivilous arguments about 'climate change' on both sides: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/03/08/the-logarithmic-effect-of-carbon-dioxide/
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 04:00 PM
http://rightwingnews.com/democrats/united-nations-demands-us-give-1-billion-obama-promised-to-combat-global-warming/
Where is this money supposed to come from?
IMO, every dime spent on supposedly to combat global warming is wasted.
IMO, every dime that goes to the UN is used against the US.
Posted by: pagar | April 20, 2015 at 04:00 PM
Visualize 400 parts per million as 40 seats in a football stadium which has 100,000 seats.
Posted by: Old Lurker | April 20, 2015 at 04:01 PM
But they're magic seats, OL.
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 04:07 PM
OL-- ah, but if those 40 seats are held by the 40 largest Boosters who make up 90% of annual booster revenue, you'd pay very close attentio to those 40 particular seats. That is the logarithmic effect, check out the 400pm WUWT link.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 04:09 PM
magic seats? no, but very important seats as far as atmospheric temps are concerned.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 04:10 PM
NK, logarithmic means that CO2 on the margin has very diminished impact. So I'm missing the point. You are using "logarithmic" as if it means exponential, when it really means the opposite. Over a wide range of ppm the impact is very small.
Posted by: jimmyk | April 20, 2015 at 04:12 PM
According to the Warmist Religionists, CO2 is harmful and a pollutant. Considering it's vitality to mankind and our atmosphere, I'd say it's pretty magical to be both simultaneously.
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 04:18 PM
Ding ding ding, jimmyk. We have a winner.
Those 40 seats are currently held by credentialed morons who are demanding we destroy their seats so they can be more comfortable sitting in them.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 04:18 PM
From the comments at the Roger Simon article on the previous thread discussing Hillary's lies:
LIAR, LIAR.
Pantsuit on fire.
Posted by: daddy | April 20, 2015 at 04:22 PM
JamesD,
Rats@#$
Just finished a Library run, but hadn't started catch-up so I missed your recommendation for Barrow's Boy's, which looks like a very interesting read.
Miss Marple,
That book The Invaders, (on dogs and humans joining together to wipe out neanderthals) wasn't in, but my Library has it on order. Currently I am pounding thru that Sharpe's Rifle's series. I like how it introduces me to the various campaigns that Wellington conducted in India, Portugal and Spain. When I finish each book I now click on the Internet and read the actual history of whatever battle the book covered, and it's a fun, easy way to learn some interesting, brutal history.
Thanks for the book steers, guys.
Posted by: daddy | April 20, 2015 at 04:34 PM
JimmyK-- the logarithmic scale also relates to the effect of the FIRST 200/ppm, without those 200/ppm CO2 and other trace gases and water vapor, earth would be an ice ball. just those 200/ppm CO2 account for 3C of atmospheric temp anomoly. A massive effect from miniscule ppm count, of course doubling it only increases temps less than 2C -- ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, and beyond doubling, the logarithmic scale flatens to virtully nil. So where does the 'runaway' CO2 climate come from? the 'forcings' projected by warmist 'models'. This whole debate is about theoretical forcings which 'will' happen, allegedly as the 2C temp increase occurs. It's voodoo; but I take this stuff seriously and don't climb out onto spurious tree lims which the warmists can cut off behind me. Read the link and other serious 'skeptic' info.
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 04:35 PM
http://www.theonion.com/articles/black-gospel-choir-makes-man-wish-he-believed-in-a,231/
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 04:37 PM
CO2 and ppm..
Who says you are anti'-sciencey?
I will defend your right to exotic interpretations until all of us are dead.
Posted by: Ben | April 20, 2015 at 04:37 PM
Dead? You go first.
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 04:43 PM
Daddy, that was exactly how I read those books.
And brutal that life was, I agree. I read that series, another about Vikings, another about Ghengis Kahn, one about the formation of England, and one about Roman expansion. I used your approach after each book in each series to sort out some of the fact from some of the fiction.
Brutal was the common fact of life for all of them, leading me to wonder how soft we got so quickly.
Posted by: Old Lurker | April 20, 2015 at 04:51 PM
daddy-- is Sharpe's Rifles a good read?
Posted by: NKvirusedandback | April 20, 2015 at 04:55 PM
Henry, Just a request.
Instapundit has a ton of links today to ongoing Courtroom action re: the John Doe of of control prosecutions in Wisconsin.
As a non-Lawyer I am unable to make much sense of it, but please do post about it whenever anything of substance happens that is explainable to non-Lawyers like me in layman terms. I think we're all interested in it, so please post as much as you like about it.
Posted by: daddy | April 20, 2015 at 04:59 PM
NK-all those books are a good read. I adore the Viking ones also.
Just finished the new Matthew Shardlake series Lamentation.
Very weird to have Cromwell gone in one series and alive and well in Wolf Hall.
One fun aspect was having the future Lord Burghley, William Cecil, as a character in the latest Shardlake book. An up and comer at court would be one way to describe him.
Posted by: rse | April 20, 2015 at 05:04 PM
daddy-- is Sharpe's Rifles a good read?
NK,
One of my co-pilots looked at me reading one the other day and laughed. He had read them all and he said that among his buddies in his reserve squadron, the Sharpe novels were colloquially referred to as "Mind Candy."
That tickled me and I think it fits perfect. They are very readable. Always tons of bloodshed and murder and treachery, and in each book a brand new requisite beautiful strong senioritta pops up, who against common sense and her Catholic religion and all the social mores manages to fall in love with the ungentlemanly, up from the London slums Sharpe, and winds up giving it up to him in passionate embrace just before he goes out and murders a ton more French guys. It is "Mind Candy", and takes no effort to read at all, almost like comic books. But...it has the value as mentioned before of creating a sort of mental trellis upon which the particulars of Wellington's battles can be placed, and that is of value.
They definitely pale in comparison to Patrick O'Brian, but I am now addicted to the damn things and am roaring through them.
Posted by: daddy | April 20, 2015 at 05:12 PM
-- but to say reducing CO2 reduces temps and decreases farm yield like a thermostat plays into the hands of the CO2Merchants and is factually incorrect--
Not sure anyone said that but increased CO2 does help plant fecundity so it is logical to assume decreased CO2 has the opposite effect, especially if the effect is to produce a colder drier planet.
Go climb a 10,000 foot mountain and note the effect on yourself of decreased oxygen.
--CO2--from ALL sources, man and nature--currently constitutes about 0.04% (400 parts per million) of the atmosphere. Quite the little magic molecule.--
It doesn't take too many parts per million of strychnine to render one dead so I'm not sure anyone is discussing magical molecules.
The recent work of Curry etal seems to be confirming what most sensible people suspected; a doubling of CO2 mildly warms things and is neither catastrophic nor harmful but is, on net, beneficial.
It is almost certainly insufficient to offset the end of our current interglacial period which, if one wishes for a catastrophe to deal with, a larger one it would be hard to imagine.
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | April 20, 2015 at 05:16 PM
We read the same things, rse. I find that reading on my iPad has turned me into a binge reader such that when I discover a new series (like Sharpes Rifles) the whole series is available so I read them one after another, often downloading the next upon finishing the current one at say 1 AM. Wife thinks I'm nuts. That, BTW, is how we like to watch multiple seasons of shows, rather than waiting out the seasons week by week.
Finally BTW, those series you mention use the "traditional" approach in making each book a pretty complete story, and the subsequent books continue on with the characters and themes. This is as opposed to the very annoying new trend where you get into a book only to have it end abruptly with most threads unresolved, so you have to wait a year or two to get back into it. By which time I have long forgotten who was who and what was what.
And continuing with my other big peeve in the book world...these days, and I blame Tom Clancy, just when you find an writer you like, they get too big for their britches and start letting John Doe write for them so the cover blares the big name, and buries in 8pt type "...with John Doe...". I vote with my wallet and drop those writers cold turkey when they do that.
Posted by: Old Lurker | April 20, 2015 at 05:17 PM
I'm reading The Road To Serfdom. Definitely not "mind candy."
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 05:17 PM
Mind candy is good reads at the beach or out by the pool reading.
Bodice slashers for me. Easy to pick up and put down. The next plot twist is who gets in the sack next. And you can always take a quick dip in the water should it get too steamy iykwimaityd.
Posted by: Stephanie | April 20, 2015 at 05:19 PM
Chausses to enter the conversation in three...two...one...
Posted by: Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki | April 20, 2015 at 05:21 PM
I love Mind Candy.
Posted by: Old Lurker | April 20, 2015 at 05:21 PM
Wait, didn't Mind Candy open for Pink Floyd at the Paramount in '82?
Posted by: lyle | April 20, 2015 at 05:23 PM
One of the reasons I read the Sharpe,s rifles series is that the battles were often mentioned in the romance novels of Georgette Heyer and Patricia Veryan, so I wanted to find out the history.
I loved them and learned a lo about British military history of the time, albeit not detailed.
Still, it did me well when I visited Wellington's house in London, Apsley House. It even has his famous Wellington boots and the art collection he rescued when one of Bonaparte,s brothers was trying to escape Spain with it. The King of Spain gave it to him as a reward for rescuing Spain.
Posted by: Miss Marple | April 20, 2015 at 05:24 PM