Author Archive

Five “The Queen is Dead” Thoughts Under the Fedora

Posted: September 9, 2022 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: , ,

Unless you live under a rock you will know that Queen Elizabeth II died yesterday at the age of 96 as the longest reigning monarch in English History. Here are some thoughts:

My first thought is that it’s kind of weird. I’m nearly 60 and for my entire life Elizabeth has been Queen of England. It will be very odd to think of someone else as the monarch of England. Particularly Charles

My second thought was with the death of Elizabeth II the most famous living World War 2 vet is now…Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who as Joseph Ratzinger was conscripted into German anti-aircraft corps.

I suppose that might be considered a tiny bit of irony that Benedict outlived her although in fairness he is a year younger. It’s also odd to note that two most famous long lived vets of WW II were both leaders of a Christian Church (Church of England, Roman Catholic).

There are a few bricks being thrown at Elizabeth for being a monarch, for the various grievance people had with the British Empire, one might even gripe about her unwillingness at the head of the Anglican Church to stand up for the faith rather than let it collapse.

But in the end all those complaining about what she did or didn’t do have exactly 0 days experience at being a British Monarch, so I think I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt that she was a better expert on how to do it wisely than any of her critics might be.

Besides this isn’t the time to be throwing rocks even if you think she deserved it.

It will be something to see the pomp and ceremony of the coronation of Charles as King of England. Given the degree of unbelief in the nation, the no longer primarily English nationality of the population, and the general rejection of all the norms of society it will be almost comical to see the Brits try to pretend that all is as it was.

And given the turmoil within the family generated by the new king’s daughter in law her presence at the events from the funeral to the coronation is going to be very…interesting.

Finally I have a nasty feeling that this tweet which was slightly premature is accurate:

British civilization has been dying for decades, it will likely be officially put in the ground with Elizabeth.

At Least the North Koreans Didn’t Have The Choices Californians Had

Posted: September 8, 2022 by datechguy in culture
Tags: , , ,

“First we must cross the river,” Benito was saying.  “Do you believe me now when I tell you that you must not attempt to swim it, or even get wet from it, or must you try that too?”

“What happens if I just dive in?”

“Then you will be as you were in the bottle.  Aware and unable to move.  but it will be very cold, and very uncomfortable, and you will be there for all eternity knowing that you put yourself there.”

Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle Inferno 1976

What was your first thought when you saw this:

and this:

For many their first thought would be California’s new rules mandating electric cars by 2035 and how all said car owners are not able to charge under these rules.

My thought was this picture of North Korea:

And it struck me that the people of North Korea have no choice on who leads them and that to change the situation they are in, they have to risk their lives.

People in California don’t have that out. They have repeatedly voted for and allowed their state to become more and more a third world country. Moreover for decades people have warned them over and over that their policies would have this effect.

They ignored them.

What has happened in North Korea is a tragedy because it was done to the people there. What is happening in California is comedy because they have done it to themselves.

BTW if you want to know how it’s going to end, it will end like this:

Sir Humphrey Appleby: But if you knew they were crooks

Sir Desmond Glasebrook: We didn’t

Sir Humphrey Appleby: But you could have made enquiries..

Sir Desmond Glasebrook: You don’t make enquiries of that sort in the city. They seemed like decent chaps and decent chaps don’t check up on decent chaps to see if they are behaving like decent chaps.

Sir Humphrey Appleby: And ignorance is worth paying 14 million pounds for?

Sir Desmond Glasebrook: Ignorance is safety it’s not a crime to be deceived and it’s not our own money is it? [Turning to the waiter handing the him the check] Oh thank you.

Sir Humphrey Appleby: So What’s going to happen?

Sir Desmond Glasebrook: Well there’s only one answer. The Bank of England must bail out Philips Berrison. No publicity keep it in the family, and that way we get our money back.

Sir Humphrey Appleby: At the taxpayer’s expense.

Sir Desmond Glasebrook: Of course.

Yes Prime Minster A conflict of interest 1987

In the end California will ask the federal government to bail them out. It won’t be this year, it won’t be next year but within the next decade the state will be begging for a federal bailout to save them from the hole they dug for themselves.

Remember you heard it here first.

I’ll give the last word to Christine Pushaw

Closing thought to all those who have fled California over the last decade: If you continue to vote for the left in the state where you fled to, all of these problems will follow you to where you are now.

A Reminder for NE Fans and Sports Radio folk

Posted: September 7, 2022 by datechguy in nfl, Sports
Tags: , ,

I keep hearing people talking about Bill Belichick being the greatest coach of all time. Let’s look at some basic stats

Tom BradyBill BelichickBrady Without BillBill Without Brady
Number of winsNumber of SeasonsNumber of Seasons(includes 2008 Brady 1 game)
5 wins022
6 wins011
7 Wins033
8 Wins000
9 Wins11
10 Wins231
11 Wins4411
12 Wins66
13 Wins321
14 Wins44
15 Wins00
16 Wins11

And lets do one better

Tom BradyBill BelichickBrady without BillBill without Brady
First place Finishes191720
Playoff Record34-1231-134-11-2
Super bowl Appearances10910
Wins7610

Put simply Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all time…as long as he has the greatest player of all time playing for him.

If not he is a pretty good coach smart enough to coax an extra win or two for a team.

Meanwhile Tom Brady is the the greatest player of all time who not only wins divisions and superbowls wherever he plays but he does it at an age when people have usually been behind a TV camera for half a decade or more.

Update: I’ll add one caveat, if Bill Belichick can make the playoffs with this Patriots team and this coaching staff I might have to promote him from pretty good to great in my mind.

I’m Old Enough to Remember when the Irish Weren’t in Favor of Authorities Locking UP Irishmen Over Religion

Posted: September 6, 2022 by datechguy in culture

I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history

Cardinal Francis George 1937-2015

If you wanted to know what a Post Christian Society looks like, here you go:

I love my school but I am here today because I would not call a boy a girl’: Teacher who refused to use student’s gender-neutral pronouns condemns ‘insanity’ as he is JAILED in Ireland

Now in fairness he is jailed for defying his suspension for refusing to use said pronouns but it amounts to the same thing.

He isn’t going to back down either

Referring to his suspension, Mr Burke said: ‘It is extraordinary and reprehensible that someone’s religious beliefs on this matter could ever be taken as grounds for an allegation of misconduct.

‘My religious beliefs are not misconduct. They are not gross misconduct. They never will be. They are dear to me. I will never deny them and never betray them, and I will never bow to an order that would require me to do so. It is just not possible for me to do that.’

That this is happening in Ireland which was once the most Catholic Country in Christendom tells me that after many centuries not only are the Snakes back in Erie but they’ve taken root.

Older Entries
Newer Entries