Taylor Swift is not a CIA wokeness android.
Nancy Pelosi did not threaten the league at halftime if the 49ers didn’t win.
The NFL is controlled by Lizard People, but they are the same Old Rich White Lizard People as have openly controlled American wealth since Cornelius Vanderbilt emerged from the caves beneath Staten Island, so that doesn’t count.
I get it: we’re not just in a post-rational world, we’re in a post-post-rational world, where the Normal are afraid to publicly contradict the Nutters.
Ironically, this world springs from humanity’s analytical nature. We are creatures evolved for pattern recognition and anticipating threats, and we are deeply uncomfortable with uncertainty. Someone said that humanity has a Religion-shaped hole in its psyche for this very reason- if we don’t have explanations, our brains start eating themselves. In order to feel safe, we need to think
1. there is some intelligent guiding hand(s) on the tiller of the world,
2. there is some way we can gain their favor (or at least avoid their wrath) if we do the Right Things, and
3. we know what those Right Things are.
We need this comfort; otherwise, we fall into a black pit of nihilistic despair and become lawyers.
Conspiracy Theory enters through that same psychic door as Religion, because it fulfills that same need to know What’s Really Going On. The difference is that instead of setting the terms of a relationship with the Controlling Power, it just gives you a target to hate and someone to blame.
Seriously, name me a positive conspiracy theory. Something where the secret cabal of plotters is trying to do something good, like find the cure for cancer or make fat-free cookies that taste good. You can’t.
So we come to the Super Bowl. As soon as the underdog Chefs emerged from Baltimore victorious, the drumbeat of CONSPIRACY! began to echo across the land, especially in conservative circles.
Listen: I got on the NFL-Wants-Taylor-Swift-at-the-Super-Bowl train pretty fucking early. The NFL will do almost anything to attract new demographics, and the Platonic Swiftie is a potential goldmine: young, female and willing to spend. And I absolutely believe that the NFL uses “soft” power (leaning on refs for judgment calls, advantageous scheduling, etc.) to give its ‘preferred’ teams every opportunity to flourish, though not so much as to outright hand them games.
Otherwise the Meadowlands would have hosted a playoff game in the last 11 years.
But let’s pump our brakes on the TAYLOR SWIFT IS A PSYOP BY THE CIA/PFIZER/DEMOCRATS part of this.
First, there were no indications that even my comparatively respectable “soft-power” concept played a role in the Chiefs victories over the Bills or the Ravens. Unless someone drugged the Baltimore offense, the Chiefs just stepped up. The NFL is no doubt delighted that they can save up their skullduggery for future use.
Second, the Lions would have been a way better matchup if the Powers that Be were trying to ensure a Hollywood Ending.
Third, it’s a quarterback’s league. If the whole relationship was a Work, the NFL would have set her up with Joe Burrow.
Fourth, if the relationship was a Work by Gay Woke Democrats, the NFL would have set her up with Jalen Hurts.
So please: it’s time for someone on that side of the aisle to call bullshit. Like, not the usual semi-serious killjoy people; the public is used to ignoring us. I need the Head Idiots- the Joe Rogans, the Pat McAfees, the ones that make their money feeding off the Credulous Angry Meathead- to stand up and say “Enough! She’s smokin’ hot, and I will not see smokin’ hotness disrespected!”
Needless to say, not holding my breath.
NFL NEWS:
-Oh kids, the Coaching Tilt-a-Whirl is starting to fill up. Don’t look now, but the only two cars left are the one that doesn’t rotate correctly (Seattle) and the one with vomit that bored carney Roger Goodell couldn’t be bothered to hose out (Washington).
Seattle has a chance to be a good spot for almost any of the up-and-coming coaches (and Dan Quinn) as long as they are willing to sit up and beg for John Schneider and Jody Allen. They are a truly mediocre team with three great receivers and a whole bunch of “will they/won’t they” guys who could gel or die.
Washington…well, we covered this. I view this like the Israelites in the Sinai: the Snyder Curse (really going all the way back to George Preston Marshall) will stain the franchise “until the last of your carcasses is down in the wilderness” and no one who has sang Hail to the [Redacteds] still draws breath.
-Bad news for said Seahawks and Commanders: Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson, who was this year’s Sean McVay Memorial Great White Hope, has chosen to stay with the Lions. Johnson, who was listed as a top candidate for almost every open job, was allegedly asking too much for his services (unclear if that means monetarily or control) and so decided to go home. Someone is voluntarily staying in Detroit, so things are in unprecedented territory for the Lions.
-Arthur Smith, the pluckly little Fed Ex Heir That Could, has landed on his feet. Smith will be the Offensive Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Looking back at his previous OC experience, expect the Steelers to run Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren into the fucking ground while they try to hide Pickett (or whoever).
-Tick tock, Bill.
Not a whole lot of teams left, and no one who will give you the power you crave.
Think it’s going to be better next year? No way man- teams are looking to hire guys half your age, and 71 doesn’t look any better on the resume than 70.
So just do it.
Step up to the ledge.
Do what you were meant to do: place the Black Key of The Goat into the Great Lock, take the Washington job, and pour forth from your thousand throats the song that will end Time.
I came late to this whole game party thread, but I am completely impressed, even though the only video game I ever played was Pong.
Please keep this going, and if you can, please inform me.
This reminds me of the old DFO online poker site, with Seamus, and there was no real money involved, and I can’t play cards for shit, but the ongoing comments in “the room” were so fucking funny I never minded losing every hand.
I think somehow I got made an admin. I could start that up again
Somebody start a game on BoardGameArena. I’ll play anything. Username: Booder98. It’s a little late for real-time out here in EST, but turn-based will work.
I am in for the gaming, never used BoardGameArena.
The game collection.
WHOA!
Wow, that’s a bunch! Do you like Ticket to Ride? I thought about buying that at Christmas.
Ticket To Ride is fun. Will play from 2-6, and is fun at all player counts except maybe three. You can play 2P all friendly and shit, or you can play all cutthroat and try to cut off each other’s suspected routes.
TtR is a solid intro game in my opinion. If it’s just you and Gumby playing, I’m not sure I love it at two players. I really like Azul as a 2p game.
I’ll look for that, thanks!
If you’re into birds at all, Wingspan is a good game and very popular even with non-gaming nerds.
Second that. Bird cards are pretty, and you can play it kind of friendly or a little meaner, depending how you want to handle end-of-round bonuses.
Dibs on Stratego!
Oh man, it’s been forever since I played Stratego.
Nice. You’ve got me beat.
My collection is a little scattered. A few things over at my girlfriend’s place.
part two:
I haven’t played nearly enough Root as I want to. What’s the green one next to Castles of Burgundy?
Castles of Tuscany. Sort of the stripped-down version of CoB. It’s ok, but unless I’m trying to ease in someone who would find CoB too heavy, I don’t really see the point.
We were talking a week or so ago about Pan Am and mid-20th century air travel, and I mentioned that there’s a board game about that. Of course I couldn’t resist buying it:
It’s a pretty good game. The idea is that the players are all operators of small airlines that are hoping to sell their routes to Pan Am as it expands — the winner is whoever ends up with the most Pan Am stock.
But only until January 7 1991.
The rule book actually says that the game is mean to cover the era “to the retirement of founder Juan Trippe in 1968.” And I just had to Google to confirm that’s not a made-up joke name for an airline founder.
But I paid for Two Trippes!
Pan Am is one of my favorites. It plays pretty quickly, is random enough to keep you on your toes, plus airplanes!
Gumby bought me a cool Pan Am stewardess carry on bag like they carried in the 60’s. It’s a replica, but it’s anatomically correct. People always make a fuss over it when I travel.
So you’re saying that bag is your favorite?
It’s the only way to fly!
DFO GAME NIGHT AT DUNSTAN’S!!
Ok, seriously, if there is a bar that exists that has a table and would allow a bunch of DFOers to play a game for hours while drinking, I AM IN!!
I already host a weekly game night and have a well-stocked bar. Though that crowd is very into gaming and not so much into the drinking!
Seconded
Thirded! Now someone smarter than me needs to figure how to do it!
That’s the kind of thing we can do over video chat.
Couple that with tabletop simulator on steam and we’ve got a thing going.
Count me in!
It’s on steam!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2143164866
I have TTS, though I never use it.
I also have a Board Game Arena account, but they don’t have Pan Am.
I rarely use it, but if DFO game night happens I’ll gladly use it again.
I think I actually got that Pan Am on TTS to work?
I experimented with TTS a bit during lockdown, but ultimately concluded that online boardgaming just doesn’t scratch the itch for me. Would make an exception for DFO folks, of course.
Same here. Bought it, fooled around with it a little bit, then decided I didn’t want to mess with TTS with strangers. And none of my gaming friends and relatives were interested.
That’s me as well.
I don’t know what the hell that first half means, but okay.
PC gaming platform. We can run tabletop simulator and play board games remotely
There’s at least two here in Columbus. This one I’ve been to:
https://theforgetavern.com/
I have 2 Ticket to Ride games. And Scrabble.
I have a bunch of editions of Trivial Pursuit, including a sports one that the hockey answer was Gordie Fucking Howe about 70% of the time.
We have an ancient Genus edition and about the only way anybody can ever get a pink piece is to guess “The Beatles” and hope that you lucked into one of the 25% or so questions where that’s the correct answer.
Disinfected and deodorized. Ahh.
Why were you so dirrrty?
We (wife, MIL, and I) watched Apollo 13. I’ve seen it at least 10 times, and maybe more. I know for a fact that the astronauts come home safe; I remember it from when I was a kid. But I still get misty when the chutes open up.
That is a really well made movie.
That’s a movie that is in the category of ” whenever it’s on I’ll watch until completion”
There is a conspiracy theory out there that she corrupted the internet.
/ not really he made that up as a weak excuse to post this.
// it’s what he does.
Oh my!
I need to know who this lovely lady is.
Danni Ashe
Seriously? I completely forgot what she looked like.
A true internet pioneer. I recall following her on Netscape, yep… ’90’s Baby!
TOTALLY! She was the OG of Internet Nudie Girls!
Buxomy Joan Cusack?
Sold out. Damnit!
https://thebellwetherla.com/events/yo-la-tengo-230929
Went out drinking with a former colleague. Am now home. So….what should I make myself to drink?
I find a Manhattan is good for both nostalgia and the downslope of a full night’s drinking
This is a man after my own heart. I started a Manhattan (with chicory bitters) before awaiting a response.
Whiskey rocks?
Freezer vodka
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1752457485548437806
You just hate to see it.
I’ve been told the Commanders are a fresh sheet of paper and not to burden them with the bullshit of previous regimes.
I lold and said it should still take a premium to lure a good coach.
The operating systems switchover today went about as well as the initial stages of Obamacare. We’ve already had one half-assed apology/acknowledgement from one of the folks in charge.
Had a hearing in the morning that got me out of being totally unproductive, but the afternoon would have been better spent testing butt plugs.
Is it wrong to go take a shower for 40 minutes if I’m the one paying the water bill?
I that’s what I’m going to do.
Look, ain’t no stopping the imminent collapse of human society. Might as well enjoy what the fuck you can, for as long as you fucking can.
/brain soundtrack likes to play this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVO5OYoZQHc
JV Falcons just beat U*NC on the hardwood (huh huh heh heh) and that mean’s it’s #SIXthPillTime
The ACC should get no more than 3 bids, and have nobody seeded any better than 5th.
They’ll get 5, and both UNC and Duke will somehow both be 3 seeds, one might get a 2.
I don’t mind it so much when Duke is overseeded; it makes the fall so much sweeter.
LATE BREAKING ORIOLES NEWS! https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39425417/reports-orioles-sold-2-private-equity-billionaires
grumble grumble when you said rated e for everyone i thought you were talking about your mom grumble grumble
Remember, Madden 25 was already done!
(And it was the best Mobile game, now it’s P2W loot box bullshit)
Had to buy a USB wi-fi dongle due to the fucking flying squirrel chewing through the cat6 cables in the wall. It did not come with any install media, just a piece of paper with the website to get the software. Sigh, eventually I figured out I could download to my phone and then use a cable to connect the phone to the computer to get the file. Are cds really that expensive?
Who has a CD drive anymore?
I do, just an external to plug in for situations like this.
The things I hate most about conspiracy theories is the circular reasoning and the nebulous “They” who are behind it all, if only we weren’t too deep in their grasp. Loved this post.
But I’ll always believe this green fella is one of the underground Vanderbilts.
Positive conspiracy theory – the whole “Wizard of Oz”/Dark Side Of the Moon synchronicity thing.
(inhales from bong)
“No, really man, it totally works except for large parts of the middle and ending”
It totally falls apart when you have to loop the album.
/Absolutely did not try this in college. No way. No how…
I did that once and there are a lot of coincidences between the two.
There’s also a lot of stretching to find even more coincidences. I think it helps to be stoned out of your mind.
Youngest Fozz Spawn and myself are setting up a turtle tank.
Everything you buy these days is absolute shit: materials, design, packaging.
Be glad you’re a dad.
I am 100% glad, even though my 3 sons can push their dad to the limits of sanity.
Can they change a wheel, adjust a carb, and flee?
Some things have changed.
Right now, they know the basics. Running numbers, leaning on store owners for “insurance,” and knowing where the safe houses are located.
That’s just typical Baltimore K-8 education.
How about that? A turtle I absolutely would run over.
Pet turtles were so much better back in my day.
We live in a terrible new world.
Has anyone seen these two in the same railyard at the same time? I can’t be the only one who sees this.
We’ll see if he calls for The Flow in mini-camp…
Nothings gonna stop The Flow…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28yUf5l6egw
Folk Implosion had a SECOND SONG???
Positive conspiracy gang
Fair enough.
I love these women. May they flay freely
I would gladly march with these brave women, except they’d probably beat the shit out of me just on general principle.
Not my type.
Yeah, you strike me as more of a whip fella.
The coaching carousel is much like Leonides arguing with the Ephors. He is us, the Ephors are management, and the sybils whisper. Well…except YEEHAW THIS IS DALLAS!
Looks up DFO in the dictionary, we fall into a black pit of nihilistic despair and become lawyers
Y’all are many lawyers. This is release to you. The fact you aren’t a(r)ssholes is a relief to Us.
I once Googled “KSK”, and all the results were about a German paint company.
Considering it’s only paint on a German website, I’d say we got lucky.
Positive conspiracy theory:
Richard Gere’s gerbil
Urban legend, not conspiracy theory.
Also, I imagine that story is less positive from the rodent’s point of view.
Lemmiwinks survived.
There was only one, which means he lived to crawl another day!
That’s what makes it positive
Not for the gerbil.
Richard Gere’s Gerbil is the name of my new band, and also the title our debut album.
You can see us every Wednesday down at the IHOP on La Cienega.
I’m actually happy about the Steelers hire. It’s a good direction.
It is a pretty good fit of scheme to their current personnel, which is nice. I have some questions about whether Harris + Warren = Prime Tractorcito, but their defense gives them a chance to commit to the run without getting boatraced
Kidding aside, Arthur Smith was a very good OC. He did become Duce Jr. in Atlanta. And working under Tomlin is a great opportunity, objectively. I don’t see Smith working the angles for a coup,
My soul is a slime covered pit lined with viscera, rotting blood, and bone fragments. There is no light. There is no life. No hope.
Welcome to middle age, my (imaginary) friend. Help yourself to punch and pie!
CAKE! Both in dessert and band.
…tho I’ve often done cake for breakfast
“Oh, there’s pie too?” – Ray Rice
Let the pain cleanse you. Let the filth set you free