I haven’t seen the film, and won’t judge it until I do. But, apparently, environmentalists have issues with it too.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/28/climate-dangerous-documentary-planet-of-the-humans-michael-moore-taken-down

Climate experts call for ‘dangerous’ Michael Moore film to be taken down

Planet of the Humans, which takes aim at the green movement, is ‘full of misinformation’, says one online library

. . .

A letter written by Josh Fox, who made the documentary Gasland, and signed by various scientists and activists, has urged the removal of “shockingly misleading and absurd” film for making false claims about renewable energy. Planet of the Humans “trades in debunked fossil fuel industry talking points” that question the affordability and reliability of solar and wind energy, the letter states, pointing out that these alternatives are now cheaper to run than fossil fuels such as coal.

Michael Mann, a climate scientist and signatory to Fox’s letter, said the film includes “various distortions, half-truths and lies” and that the filmmakers “have done a grave disservice to us and the planet by promoting climate change inactivist tropes and talking points.” The film’s makers did not respond to questions over whether it will be pulled down.

Not sure how much these virtual Pro Days should really count . . . but here’s another UDFA with excellent workout numbers. The 10-yard split, 3-Cones, etc. are especially good. Sub-4.5 forty as well.

zn wrote:

Rams trade 126.

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond: Rams got picks Nos. 136, 248 and 250.

First glance, without a deep dig, this looks like a solid trade for the Rams.

I’d try to use the seventh rounders to move back into the fifth. They’d need more ammunition along with that. But it would help.

Am also hoping they try to move Havenstein for more picks. Even for next year’s draft. Roughly speaking, trading for a pick one year away can net you at least one lower round. As in, a 4th this year can sometimes get a third next year. Or at least a much, much earlier 4th.

The Rams will be draft-strapped next year too, and maybe into 2022, unless my memory is off, which is all too frequent these days. In the cap era, bringing in talent via lots and lots of new rookie contracts is essential. Teams simply can’t remain under the cap if they go the second-contract-for-stars route. As in, the Jalem Ramsey’s, etc.

So far, I don’t like this draft, at all, except for Terrell Davis. Love that pick.

I know, I know. The usual response to criticism — especially on the old Herd board — was anger at the nerve of dissent.

;>)

It could generally be boiled down into some version of “They obviously didn’t like the players you wanted, and they know better than any fan. They chose who they wanted, not who you wanted,” etc. etc.

Yes, that’s a very good assumption. They chose the players they wanted. Let’s at least hope that’s the case. It would be pretty unsettling if they chose players they didn’t want. So, um, well, that’s a given. My own critique has always taken that into account.

But no knee-jerk response ever accounts for this: The Rams have a tendency to draft players prior to their likely spot of drafting, year after year. And whether they like that player or not, this is not a good strategy. Why? On balance — and this is just math and common sense — teams go after the best players first. That, by definition, leaves “lesser” players for later rounds, with exceptions. So, if you want player X, but he’s likely slated for later rounds, find another player you like and take him first. Your guy will likely be there later. And, if he’s not? So? It’s just NEVER the case that this will mean NO player left on the board can help the team get better. IMO, it’s a really dumb rationale for “reaching.”

It’s a team sport. One player isn’t going to make or break a team, especially not a team like the Rams, and especially after the First Round, with so many holes. If you don’t get your guy later, you’ll find someone else who can help. Draft for value, now, always.

How can you go wrong when you draft a Badass?

He would make a nice complement to the Rams new kicker, Hallelujah.

Nittany,

Raj Patel and Jason W. Moore do offer an extended critique of Borlaug, plus solutions, in their excellent A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things. IMO, it’s a must-read read.

Books

Excellent highlights, Mr. House of Atreus.

This appears to be a very, very deep draft. Obviously, we won’t know until these guys actually play on Sundays, etc.

But looking at the draft right now, I wish the Rams had twice as many picks. I think if they had a few more, the absence of a First Rounder could easily be ignored.

Just some favorites left:

Kyle Dugger S Lenoir-Rhyne. Big, fast, ultra-athletic. He would upgrade the safety spot and give the DC tremendous flexibility. Dugger could play either spot, or play the hybrid linebacker, and/or free up Rapp to do so, etc.

Favorite replacement for Littleton: Troy Dye ILB 6-3, 231 Oregon. Faster and more athletic than CL. Instant upgrade.

Favorite OL guy, and he likely won’t require a trade-up (unlike Jones or Cleveland): Robert Hunt OG Louisiana-Lafayette. Big, athletic, etc.

Preferred RB, if they go that route: Jonathan Taylor RB Wisconsin. He’s big and has 4.4 speed. He would make an excellent Mr. Inside to Henderson’s Mr. Outside.

Preferred WR, though he’ll likely need a trade-up, which goes against my usual, amateur GM strategery: Denzel Mims WR Baylor. The Rams need speed at the position, and they need someone who can go up and get contested passes. Fall-back: Laviska Shenault WR Colorado. If he checks out medically.

Preferred center. Should not need trade-up: Matt Hennessy C/G Temple.

Preferred Edge: Julian Okwara OLB 6-4, 252 Notre Dame. Likely needs a trade-up. Fall-back: Darrell Taylor OLB 6-4, 267 Tennessee.

I’ve had some fun recently using those NFL draft simulators. Have had some pretty good drafts, IMNSHO.

My own wish for the Rams is that they get much faster and more athletic across the board, but especially defense.

Some of my favorite drafts, in no particular order:

1. CB Noah Igbinoghene (All-Pro potential)
2. Edge Julian Okwara (All-Pro potential, but likely won’t last this long)
3. S Kyle Dugger (size/speed combo)
4. C Tyler Biadasz (unlikely to be there this late)
5. RB/WR Antonio Gibson
6. TE Dalton Keane (athletic TE)
7. WR Joe Reed (size/speed combo)

___

1. C Cesar Ruiz (likely won’t be there this late)
2. CB Noah Igbinoghene (same)
3. S Kyle Dugger
4. LB Akeem Davis-Gaither (small but speedy)
5. LB Troy Dye (A personal speedy-guy favorite. Also likely won’t be here this late)
6. WR Quez Watkins (speed)
7. QB Steven Montez (my favorite “take a flier on ’em” QB)

__

1. C Cesar Ruiz
2. S Jeremy Chin (great size/speed safety. The Rams would likely also use him in the old Marquis Christian role)
3. G/T Robert Hunt (perhaps the toughest, most athletic lineman available for the Rams. But he may not last this long, either. No longer off the radar.)
4. LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
5. LB Troy Dye
6. WR Quez Watkins
7. QB Steven Montez

__

1. C Cesar Ruiz
2. S Jeremy Chin
3. G/T Robert Hunt
4. LB Troy Dye
5. RB A.J. Dillon (probably won’t fall this far)
6. LB Cameron Brown (tall/athletic)
7. QB Steven Montez

. . .

Comments welcome.

Zooey wrote:

Also…I am apparently the only person who sees Sanders comments about “irresponsiblity” different from everyone else. If you read the surrounding sentences, it sounds to me like he is saying it is irresponsible not to remain involved in the progressive cause, and help pull Biden to the left. Of course, you can’t “pull” Biden if you don’t support him, but I thought Sanders was talking about commitment to progressivism.

No, Zooey, you’re not the only person. I think that’s exactly what Sanders is talking about, and I agree with him. Not so much “Team Biden” as “Let’s keep this thing rolling. I’m passing the torch!”

More (possible?) preaching to the choir here: I think our individual votes are all but meaningless. Everyone here has likely read the recent study out of Princeton that confirmed this nation’s oligarchical status. The two parties listen primarily to the 1% (or 0.01%). IMO, the Dems aren’t nearly as aggressive in fluffing for Corporate America or the robber barons as the GOP, nor are they as likely to aggressively go to war against the planet. But they don’t listen to “We the people,” either.

Ironically, of course, the GOP is just a hell of a lot better at gaslighting enough folks to keep winning elections. They’re masters at hiding their subservience to billionaires behind the mask of religion, guns and the flag. Aside from their outright voter suppression efforts, they’re near geniuses (at getting away with) pitting the working class and most of the middle class against each other, and against our peers around the world. The Dems have been absurdly bad at fighting this, whenever they muster the effort to do so, or just weakly complicit.

But I still think, if forced to choose from the two rotten, corrupt, abysmal, shouldn’t-have-power-at-all parties, the Dems are better — for the majority and the planet.

But, yeah. Sanders isn’t saying All in for Biden! He’s saying let’s dump Trump, get a foot in the door, and fight the status quo in all its forms.

Nittany,

Looks like I failed again to make my point clearly enough.

I’m talking about if a leftist chooses to vote for one major party or the other, and just between those two.

I think voting Socialist, Green or Frisbetarian makes plenty of sense, as does staying home, if that’s what a citizen chooses. It’s up to all of us. Our choice, obviously.

Just saying that any sort of internal debate regarding the two major parties should be easy for leftists. If we’re going to cast a vote, and if that vote is earmarked for one or the other . . . it shouldn’t be a tough decision.

If I’m still being as clear as mud, apologies in advance.

The DNC cleared the field for the wrong guy, again. Rinse and repeat.

The nom shoulda been Sanders, obviously. Best policies and agenda, relative to all other candidates, by light years. And he doesn’t have that ethics baggage to deal with.

Wouldn’t want to go to a second or third choice, but if forced to, it would probably be Inslee or Warren, maybe Yang. And I can think of several others who would have been better than Biden, with a better chance of beating Trump too. Harris, Klobuchar, etc.

Of course, Biden’s alleged sexual predations pale in comparison to Trump’s. It’s not close. The latter has at least 24 credible accusations of sexual assault against him, which include outright rape.

What is it about these politicians/CEOs and their predatory natures? Why do so many of them seem to fit the profile of sociopath?

My own dime-store theory is that in a capitalist society, rising to “the top” nearly always requires that. I don’t know enough about psych to say which comes first, chicken or egg . . . as in, Do they run because they’re sociopaths? or Do they win because they are? or does acquiring the power then turn them toward the dark side?

But I feel beyond certain that our system radically worsens extremely negative traits, weaponizes them, etc. We need to figure this out if we want to make it as a species into the 22nd century.

zn wrote:

wv wrote:

I have a theory, myself. I think a Virus wiped out the Dinosaurs. It was a meteor-virus. A big meteor landed and there was an alien corona-virus on it.
And that was that.

w
v

They didn’t have a vaccine for the Spanish Flu, and it took 3 years to go away. (Probably because it mutated into something more benign, like, for example, dedicated football fandom).

I agree about the fan viruses. Can be benign or highly dangerous. The Rams virus, for instance, doesn’t cause too much misery, unless it mutates into its Warner/Bulger form, in which case patients end up throwing various virtual and inanimate objects at each other, in hopes of deeply wounding or even killing their prey; or, if the Saints virus mutates into the badcall virus, wherein referees are chased out of New Orleans like poor little coyotes; or the Patriots virus, when it becomes mugholtbrucefaulkitis. That one pretty much devastated millions across the land.