KarateKen

I was talking about AI the other day with someone and how music is now being created by AI. The lyrics, the signing voice, it all sounds like a professional musician recorded the song, but there is no artist, it is a computer. He said to me "I will never understand humans. I can't believe we are smart enough to create this type of technology, but stupid enough to allow it to replace us."

Well this was shocking. Dexter Original Sin, the prequel to Dexter, was CANCELLED! This is upsetting not only because I was a huge fan of the first season, but the network had already announced that it was renewed for a second season, and the writers were working on the show. On top of that, Dexter OS was the second most streamed show in the history of Paramount, only behind Dexter Resurrection. This is one of the most head scratching decisions I've ever seen in TV. Why would you cancel a show that is a huge hit, that has a loyal audience, and was already announced and started working on the next season?? It might be because of the new CEO. Paramount merged with Skydance earlier this month and the new staff appears to want to go in a different direction. This happens all the time in business. Some new boss comes in and changes what is working so they can put their own stamp on the brand. They could have just done one more season. The writers would have made it work and taken it right up to where it needed to be. What a terrible way to treat their supporters, the supports of their biggest and second biggest show of all time. This is an outrage. I am VERY ANGRY!!!

The robot apocalypse is coming. Strap in!

There is actually a book titled "The New York Jets Suck" It is for sale on Amazon for ten dollars.

The NFL denied that playing football lead to CTE, downplayed the danger of concussions, and then attempted to discredit the independent research done by Dr. Bennett Omalu. The subject is far too detailed to explain on this forum, if interested I suggest watching League of Denial, which is a documentary about this topic. It is free to watch on YouTube.

Research shows that drinking alcohol has become less popular in the United States. Only 54% of Americans now are drinking, according to Gallop, down about 10% from three years ago. The main reason? More and more young adults are choosing not to drink, with the survey showing that only half of 18–34-year-olds are drinking. These not only historic drops, but they are also the lowest numbers in the 90-year history of this type of research. Much of the change is connected to the trend of living a healthier and the clear negative impact heavy drinking has on the body. For those who are still drinking, many have cut way back, with the average intake being the lowest in 29 years. While some suggest that drinking is being replaced with using marijuana, research doesn't support that claim. While the drinking numbers have gone down, marijuana use has remained the same. The cultural shift in drinking has also make it more acceptable to have a mocktail or non-alcoholic beer in social settings.

"My robot can beat up your robot"

It could be worse, at least you are not a Jets fan. The Cowboys have only sucked for 30 years. The Jets have sucked for over 50.

Another big news day on the NFL front, this time about the continuing saga between the league and former head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden scored a big win this week when the Nevada Supreme Court ruled in his favor that he can go forward with his civil lawsuit against the league, and do it publicly. This makes the league potentially vulnerable to public humiliation, especially Goodell. If what comes out in discovery shows that Goodell is the one who was behind the leaking of Gruden's emails, the fallout could be huge. Two options now for the NFL to avoid this going to court. One, the league has the option to appeal the ruling (they will), so it could be heard by the US Supreme Court. Popular opinion is that the odds of the Supreme Court taking the case are slim. Option two, the NFL offers Gruden an absurd amount of money, plus the chance to coach in the NFL again, in return for him not going to court. Basically, a settlement. However, Gruden appears to be holding such a grudge against the league that he has said no amount of money will be enough and he intends to "burn the house down," in his case against the NFL. If the Supreme Court does not take the case (or if they take it and rule in favor of Gruden), then the question is, will Gruden stick to his word or will the NFL make such a great offer he can't refuse it? Oh it's getting spicy!

One thing that I know used to happen in the NFL, and this is not to excuse anybody, but players would often lie or downplay their injury so they could get back into the game. The NFL is so competitive that if you miss time due to an injury, another player could step in and take your job. Or the team could use your injury as negotiation leverage against you when your contract is up. The "tough guy" attitude was/is a big part of the football culture and "playing hurt" was often celebrated by players, fans, coaches, and the media, praising players for their toughness. When it comes to concussions, NFL coaches would often rely on doctors to decide if a player is healthy enough to play. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, before all of this came to light, concussions were not always taken as seriously because you couldn't see it the way you can see a broken bone or torn muscle. In the 90s, NFL Commision Paul Tagliabue put a doctor named Elliot Pellman as the lead doctor for concussions. Problem was that Pelman worked for the NY Jets, and the NFL, so he was not independent. A bigger problem still was that he was not an expert in neurology. This is who the league picked to head up the concussion investigation. Irresponsible choice by the NFL IMO. It is my belief that the NFL from the coaches, to the commissioners, to the owners, to the doctors, did not have the player's best interest in mind and were willing to downplay the concussion risks for fear of how it would hurt them financially. Which it did eventually did. A class action lawsuit against the NFL was settled out of court for over a billion dollars. You bring up the coaches and heat. In 2001 there was a Vikings player named Korey Stringer who died during training camp from heatstroke. There is a lot of information about that situation, but it did cause the NFL to change some things. If it happened in the NFL I wouldn't be surprised if irresponsible coaches were doing the same thing in college and high school. I've never been a coach, it is not for me, but I would think any responsible coach would prioritize the health of their players for many reasons, one being it is the right thing to do, and another being that without healthy players you don't have anyone to put in the game.

I find this interesting. I don't know anything about Rugby so I figured I would ask someone who has experience with it. Many Ruby fans I talked to years ago looked down on American Football, saying it was "soft" due to the pads worn by players, which I guess Ruby does not have, or did not at one time. I don't know the size/speed of the Rugby players or how the game works, I do know in the NFL you have very large people coming at you quickly in a small space, looking to knock you down, and, sometimes, they aim to knock you out of the game. See Vikings/Saints playoff matchup January 2010. The Saints players were offered bonus money if they were to injure Brett Favre. They roughed him up, but at age 40, Brett Favre, the record holder for most consecutive starts, never missed a snap in that game. Favre was one of the toughest guys ever. Your feedback is helpful and appreciated.

I was trying to be playful. Sorry if that was unclear.

Oh wow. Are you asking what I regret about my life that is not connected to MA? Bob, if your biggest regret is not learning the Wolf Whistle (I don't even know what that is) then you sir have made a lot of good decisions in your life and are well blessed!

Agreed.