Category: Professional liars

“Notable Death” Watch – (Earl Holliman)

Earl Holliman, a name every film buff should recognize, was one of those actors who seemed to pop up everywhere—movies, television, you name it. Born on September 11 (yep, even back then, the date existed), Earl’s biological father, William A. Frost, was a farmer. Now, here’s where it gets interesting—or awkward. Earl’s mom, Mary Smith (honestly, could her name sound any more like an alias?), already had six kids under her belt when Farmer Frost strolled into the picture.

But plot twist! Mary wasn’t married, and Frost apparently thought, “You know what this struggling, impoverished woman really needs? More drama!” According to Wikipedia, Mary had no choice but to give baby Earl up for adoption because, well, poverty and solo parenting don’t exactly scream “happily ever after.”

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My “notable death” Dossier (11/21/24)

Source-ery

Reggie Gibson, better known as the rapper Saafir, passed away on November 19. While no official cause of death has been released, it was reported that he had experienced ongoing health challenges since a severe back injury in 1992, sustained during his escape from the hard landing, crash, and subsequent fire of TWA Flight 843.

Details about Saafir’s early life and family are scarce. According to Wikipedia, he reportedly lived with Tupac Shakur during their youth. Given Tupac’s background as an effeminate ballet student at the time, some may speculate about the nature of their relationship, though this remains purely conjecture.

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Hottest day ever?

AP News recently ran a headline claiming, actually shouting, that Monday, July 22, 2024 was the hottest day ever in Earth’s history. My questions are many, but most importantly, do they really expect to be taken seriously when making such claims? This is followed by “Do they believe their own lies?” It appears to me that these screaming headlines are designed to reach gullible people who don’t read beyond headlines and who can’t think properly anyway. That must be the target market – most Americans.

Let’s have a look of some of the many problems with this headline:

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An on-point book that misses the point

I normally do not do “recommended” reading, but will do so in this case with a large caveat: If you are interested in climate change, and if you can handle some technical detail and are proficient at interpretation of graphs, AND if you think critically AND want a one-stop place for a narrative that is well written and succinct, while at the same time maintaining a high level of skepticism, then give this book a chance.

I cite the following as an example:

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Polar bears: Somebody went and counted them …

I like to suggest to anyone who thinks Climate Change is upon us and presents a real and present danger to do an experiment: As a passenger (not driver) in your car, the next time out, stick your head out the window. Feel the air, the temperature, notice the surroundings. Everything is OK.

That is tongue-in-cheek, of course. A more thorough method might be to look at data on sea levels (if you, like Barry Obama, live on a seashore) and land and ocean temperatures. Observe how little change is going on, and how easily we adapt. My own state of Colorado has experienced, over the past 100 years, an increase in daytime high temperatures of .47 degree Fahrenheit per decade. That is manageable, even welcome. There is a similar number for every state in the lower 48, for instance, Maine: .087, Nebraska: .323, Rhode Island: .334, Texas: .168. None of this is remotely alarming.

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