Becoming Brandon

@becomingbrandon.bsky.social

398 Followers 278 Following

College football fan. Gamecocks fan. Cubs fan. Aspiring polymath. AI ultra-skeptic. I could say so much, but I don't go there cuz I don't want to #CFB #Cubs

Clemson is ranked 23rd and South Carolina is ranked 24th
Belzer portrayed Det. Munch for 22 consecutive seasons on Homicide (7 seasons) and Law & Order: SVU (15 seasons), which exceeded the previous primetime live-action record of twenty consecutive seasons held by James Arness (who portrayed Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975) and Kelsey Grammer (as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier from 1984 to 2004). This record has since been passed by Belzer's SVU co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T.
Headline: "His Start-Up's Goal: A.I. That Is Trainable and Not Controlled by a Big Company" Subhead: "A co-founder of xAl is going all in on building open-source artificial intelligence so that 'anyone can control and shape A.I. for their own needs.'"
The 2026 Boston Hunters are losers. Here are some numbers: in the first five games played by the WPBL, 84 total runs were scored. Of those 84 runs, just seven were scored by the Hunters; of the 77 remaining runs, twenty three were scored against Boston, meaning nearly thirty percent of all runs scored to date were scored against Boston, who are one fourth of the league. Going into Saturday, the Hunters had a league-last .104 batting average and an abysmal .404 OPS containing just a .146 slugging percentage; on the rubber, they had a 15.23 ERA and a 3.08 WHIP - these are just terrible, terrible stats. Boston went into Saturday the last winless team in the WPBL. Of course, two losses out of fifteen chances isn't quite the same as 120 of 162, but it still feels like time is running out quick for the Hunters.
A chart showing that "the percentage of output that across to workers in the form of compensation" is at historic lows
In Kentucky, scrutiny began when a congressional committee heard testimony about the case of Anthony Thomas Hoover II, who had an overdose in 2021. After family members were told that he would not recover, they authorized donation. As coordinators arranged for the surgery, Mr. Hoover began to stir, at one point "thrashing on the bed," according to records reviewed by The Times. Still, Network for Hope, then called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, tried to move forward. Finally, on the way to the operation, Mr. Hoover cried, pulled his knees to his head and shook his head, and a hospital doctor refused to withdraw life support. Mr. Hoover eventually recovered, although he has lingering neurological injuries.
In Kentucky, scrutiny began when a congressional committee heard testimony about the case of Anthony Thomas Hoover II, who had an overdose in 2021. After family members were told that he would not recover, they authorized donation. As coordinators arranged for the surgery, Mr. Hoover began to stir, at one point "thrashing on the bed," according to records reviewed by The Times. Still, Network for Hope, then called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, tried to move forward. Finally, on the way to the operation, Mr. Hoover cried, pulled his knees to his head and shook his head, and a hospital doctor refused to withdraw life support. Mr. Hoover eventually recovered, although he has lingering neurological injuries.
In Kentucky, scrutiny began when a congressional committee heard testimony about the case of Anthony Thomas Hoover II, who had an overdose in 2021. After family members were told that he would not recover, they authorized donation. As coordinators arranged for the surgery, Mr. Hoover began to stir, at one point "thrashing on the bed," according to records reviewed by The Times. Still, Network for Hope, then called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, tried to move forward. Finally, on the way to the operation, Mr. Hoover cried, pulled his knees to his head and shook his head, and a hospital doctor refused to withdraw life support. Mr. Hoover eventually recovered, although he has lingering neurological injuries.
One commenter says about whether Beshear should unilaterally attempt to replace McConnell: "You missed one GIGANTIC downside. A really obvious one too. Beshear willfully and knowingly ignores the law on this. He will be impeached and removed in a second. "What's the downside? We lose a really effective governor who has accomplished a lot of good for higher national numbers." Mueller, She Wrote responds: "Aside from the fact that the law is actually unconstitutional, has the legislature said they would impeach and remove him for this?"
Wilson adds: "Nolan's Odyssey lacks many of the elements that make the poem great. It has nothing convincing to say about time, memory, history, war, or about the relationship between one warrior's glorious return and the lives of his family, adversaries, comrades, friends and neighbours. It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible."
Headline: In 'King of the Hill,' Mike Judge Finds Hope for America
I never thought I would have to say this, but after being accepted into law school, I may not be able to go... I grew up believing that if I worked hard enough, I could create a different future for myself and my family. As a first-generation college graduate, a minority woman, and someone who did not grow up with financial security, becoming a lawyer was never just a career goal, it was a dream built on years of sacrifice, perseverance, and hope. I was going to be the first lawyer in my family. When I received my acceptance letter, I cried. It represented every late night, every challenge I overcame, and every person who believed I could make it this far. Now, because of the recent changes to Grad PLUS loans, that dream has become uncertain. The hardest part is knowing that I earned my place. I did the work. I proved I belonged. But despite all of that, financial barriers may prevent me from stepping into the classroom. We talk about the importance of having more women in law and creating opportunities for first-generation lawyers. I am exactly the kind of person those conversations are about. I want to use my voice, my experiences, and my education to serve others. Yet I am now facing the possibility that the opportunity I worked so hard to earn may be out of reach... Right now, I am allowing myself time to grieve. (I am grieving the possibility of putting a dream on hold after coming so close. I am grieving for the younger version of myself who believed that hard work would always be enough to open the door. But I am not giving up. I will take this time, process this moment, and continue searching for a way forward. Because this dream means too much to walk away from. I hope we remember that behind every policy change is a real person, a real story, and a future that could be changed forever.
Chart showing the share of GDP going to corporate profits sharply increasing over the last 40ish years
A screen shot of a meeting in the Doomsday trailer with large gaps between several of characters
Headline: "Burnham Becomes U.K. Prime Minister and Pledges to End Homelessness"
Siegfried from "Get Smart"
Emphatically, Mr. Roosevelt did not carry out the Socialist platform, unless he carried it out on a stretcher. What is true is that when Mr. Roosevelt took office he had to act vigorously. We had demanded Federal relief for unemployment. Hence any attempts Mr. Roosevelt made at Federal relief could perhaps be called by his enemies an imitation of the Socialists platform. It was an extraordinarily poor imitation. We demanded Federal unemployment insurance. Hence any attempt to get Federal security legislation could be regarded as an imitation of the Socialist platform. It was an amazingly bad imitation. Indeed, at various times Mr. Roosevelt has taken particular and rather unnecessary pains to explain that he was not a Socialist, that he was trying to support the profit system, which by the way, he defined incorrectly. In his last message to Congress his attack was not upon the profit system but on the sins of big business.
A post from July 15 sarcastically saying: "Another historical inaccuracy from Nolan—IMAX had not yet been invented in the Mycenaean period, so this is not the aspect ratio that people saw in! Smh"
A chart showing "The Odyssey" has "universal acclaim" from critics but a 5.5 from Metacritic users
Americans are entering the most dangerous world they have known since World War II, one that will make the Cold War look like child's play and the post-Cold War world like paradise. In fact, this new world will look a lot like the world prior to 1945, with multiple great powers and metastasizing competition and conflict. The U.S. will have no reliable friends or allies and will have to depend entirely on its own strength to survive and prosper. This will require more military spending, not less, because the open access to overseas resources, markets, and strategic bases that Americans have enjoyed will no longer come as a benefit of the country's alliances. Instead, they will have to be contested and defended against other great powers.
Chart showing the latest sunrise on permanent standard time is generally before 8 a.m., with only a few areas having any post-8 a.m. sunrises at all
The candidate who made problematic remarks about Black political leaders is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders
To bolster engagement, executives at the company have recently discussed adding live channels that would continuously stream certain pro-grams, or shows and films from a certain genre, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has also explored bundling other sub-scription-based streaming services, including NBCUniversal's Peacock, into its offering. It would sell those subscriptions through its main app as rivals such as Amazon.com and Apple have long done, some of the people said.
Headline: "College Athletes Are Getting Paid. No One Knew It Would Be Like This."
A chart from The New York Times showing that Graham Platner is the only Democratic Senate nominee in a battleground race that is not doing better than the Democratic Party on the generic Congressional ballot in his state
A map showing basically the entire country having at least a minor heat risk, with most of the eastern half being moderate or worse
One more fun note is that the Mets aren't even the only team sending Bonilla checks on July 1. He worked out a similar deal with the Baltimore Orioles, who are paying him $500,000 each year from 2004 to 2028.
What should I know about traveling by plane? During a healthy pregnancy, occasional air travel is almost always safe. Most airlines allow you to fly inside the United States until about 36 weeks of pregnancy. Your ob-gyn can provide proof of your due date if needed. If you are planning an international flight, the cutoff for traveling may be earlier. Check with your airline.
An oysterman who has never held elected office, Mr. Platner, 41, rode a populist message to the Democratic nomination despite reports about offensive online posts, a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol and his treatment of women. But the poll found that he is failing to attract some voters who otherwise want to see Democrats take power in Washington. Fifty-four percent of voters said they would like to see Democrats control the Senate next year, a notably higher percentage than the percent of respondents who said they supported Mr. Platner. In fact, Ms. Collins, the Republican, is winning 10 percent of voters who prefer Democratic control.
My closest match according to this online survey is Emmanuel Macron
A graph showing non-EU migration to Britain exploding after Brexit, while EU migration slumps, but not nearly enough to offset it
Even late last week, some of Starmer's friends were still insistent he should fight on, and that it was hugely presumptuous of Burnham and his team to expect a prime minister who won a landslide majority less than two years ago to step aside for a regional mayor out of parliament since 2017.
Picture of Andy Burnham standing between Count Binface and someone dressed as a fox
"Cicero has been my nemesis in this book ..."
Google's "AI overview" says: "South Carolina flags are currently at full staff with no statewide or federal half-staff proclamations in effect." The search answer above that is a "Flag Status" from a State of South Carolina website saying: "The Governor orders that that flags atop the State Capitol be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Thursday, June 18, 2026..."
Mr. Thune has also tried to impress upon Mr. Trump that Republican senators were disinclined to gut the filibuster or abandon the blue slip veto power because they fear that once Democrats regained power, they would then have the power to push through progressive legislation and judges that would be anathema to Republicans. The filibuster and the blue slip are also procedural weapons that empower individual senators, who are very reluctant to sacrifice such leverage.
Good Morning Miami
YouGov graph showing Andy Burnham is now negative-11 in favorability
Original post: I think it's an incredible thing that the US is a place where a pregnant woman can be turned away from an international flight because she is too pregnant to fly and then her son that us born here always has a home here, even if he and mom fly home a month later. Reply: Surely a pregnant woman on a flight is a priority passenger?? OP response: Not really the point of the post.
John Couluris of Blue Origin acknowledged the "significant anomaly" when one of the company's New Glenn rockets blew up. He said the lander will be ready for Artemis III in 2027, but he did not give much detail of how to get the launchpad repaired in time. "We have redoubled our efforts and are moving forward," he said.
Something similar seems to have happened to Platner, who is often seen as a working-class hero despite his family's professional background. I know a few oyster farmers on Cape Cod, where I have lived, and oyster faming is considered one of the hardest jobs in the area, second only to lobstering. Oyster farmers must work the tides, which can see them on the mudflats at four in the morning when its ten degrees and snowing sideways. The oyster racks are made out of rebar and weigh sixty pounds; the oyster sacks weigh eighty. Both have to be picked up and moved regularly. Whatever Platner's privilege - and it certainly pales next to, say, the Trump children - he chose an absolutely brutal way to make a living. And stuck with it. It's not obvious to me why being forced into such a job by circumstance would give him more right to discuss working class concerns than choosing that work voluntarily.
"When the mayor talks about the economy, he largely talks about his ambitious universal day care and housing programs, and how they will redound to the city's economic benefit — a prediction that some analyses agree with. "But some business and work force development leaders argue that Mr. Mamdani cannot fulfill his vision for a more expansive government without a robust, tax-generating economy. They note that affordability requires not just cheaper goods, but also better-paying jobs. And they worry that he has yet to articulate what business growth in the Mamdani era will be, at a time when the challenges facing New York's economy are legion."
An article about "How Japan Lost 3 Million People in 5 Years"
A New York Times article that says: Days after Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader and other top officials in the opening salvos of the war, President Trump mused publicly that it would be best if "someone from within" Iran took over the country. It turns out that the United States and Israel went into the conflict with a particular and very surprising someone in mind: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former Iranian president known for his hard-line, anti-Israel and anti-American views.
Not surprisingly, the team found that family members tended to resemble one another more closely than did unrelated pairs of people. The researchers next compared their Holbein data set with a painting known to portray Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth I. If the "Anna Bollein Queen" sketch was indeed of Anne Boleyn, they reasoned, the comparison with the Elizabeth I painting should reveal a facial similarity consistent with a mother-daughter relationship. Instead, Ms. Davies and her collaborators found, the facial similarity was more indicative of a grandmother-granddaughter relationship — the sketch was more likely to depict Anne Boleyn's mother than Anne Boleyn herself, the team concluded. That made sense, Ms. Davies said.
A 16th-Century Sketch Claims to Depict Anne Boleyn. A.I. Says It's Her Mom. Using facial-recognition technology, scholars have concluded that a 500-year-old drawing labeled "Anna Bollein Queen" more likely showed her mother, Elizabeth Howard.