tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post6906665144885462204..comments2024-03-28T04:12:17.506-04:00Comments on the daily howler: THE DUMBNESS OF THE WHALE: The Times inflates the NFL’s case!<b>bob somerby</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02963464534685954436noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-55841596866078657652015-05-22T17:25:22.988-04:002015-05-22T17:25:22.988-04:00Or even the west stuff right.Or even the west stuff right.Carl Compassnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-15957171994131019592015-05-22T10:17:17.235-04:002015-05-22T10:17:17.235-04:00That said, nice things are not all that they are c...That said, nice things are not all that they are cracked up to be.<br /><br />Look what greed has done to Rachel Maddow. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-61793365405225825552015-05-22T10:15:24.007-04:002015-05-22T10:15:24.007-04:00A substantial news story will often include a grea...A substantial news story will often include a great amount of uncertainty over the facts and it may be difficult to fit the facts into a definite context. This is a wonderful story because it demonstrates precisely how the media function. <br /><br />It's not a parable, it's a sad reality. Trollmesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-36577093315752079882015-05-22T10:13:22.853-04:002015-05-22T10:13:22.853-04:00"You could possibly defend that as “technical..."You could possibly defend that as “technically accurate,” "<br /><br />"It’s possible! Pretty much everything is."<br /><br />Bob SomerbyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-67374085431929918022015-05-22T09:08:07.708-04:002015-05-22T09:08:07.708-04:00Yes, but it's all about intent and what's ...Yes, but it's all about intent and what's in your heart. Next season, if a Patriots player tries to interfere with an opponent's receiver, but misses, they will throw a flag anyway. Serves 'em right, those lousy cheaters!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-23757230982396410132015-05-22T08:55:54.061-04:002015-05-22T08:55:54.061-04:008:14 - Classic! While calling most of your audien...8:14 - Classic! While calling most of your audience dumb, you show that you are unaware of the facts in evidence. Both teams footballs' pressure did decrease, and in accordance with normal physics. Normal physics applies even if "it wasn't unusually cold."<br />You taunt people for taking Bob's word, but you are the most gullible one around. You have swallowed that media narrative on this subject hook, line, and sinker. You know the media who thought that this was so big a story that all three majors had it lead the nightly newscasts.<br />Actually, is this your overriding joke here? That one should be massively cynical about this blog, but lap up the crap in the mainstream media?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-5859976082105577662015-05-22T08:16:20.504-04:002015-05-22T08:16:20.504-04:00And don't forget. The equipment guy who took t...And don't forget. The equipment guy who took the footballs into the head with him, out of the view of security cameras, could have been taking a legitimate piss.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-47110185983172540012015-05-22T08:14:49.626-04:002015-05-22T08:14:49.626-04:00"He simply said temperature could account for..."He simply said temperature could account for the difference. Did I miss something?"<br /><br />Yeah. Both the fact that it wasn't unusually cold that day, and the fact that the temperature seemed to affect only one team's football.<br /><br />But hey, bringing up Ideal Gas Law that none of his fans know a damned thing about sure sounds smart. So they just gotta take Somerby at his word. Never led them wrong before!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-44564465031804118752015-05-22T00:34:06.480-04:002015-05-22T00:34:06.480-04:00I understand Bob is using this story as a parable ...I understand Bob is using this story as a parable about the media, but enough! Can we move on to...actual substantial news stories now? Good Lord.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-29850671990923287982015-05-21T23:43:29.086-04:002015-05-21T23:43:29.086-04:00The scary thing about the media's failure to r...The scary thing about the media's failure to read and explain the evidence is that it's so easy to do. It's all laid out. Consider, by comparison, how difficult it is to understand the thousands of pages of the ACA or to understand what's going on now in the Middle East. Since the media doesn't even get the east stuff right, what hope is there that they'll get the difficult stuff right?David in Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-58368037496756759132015-05-21T23:35:47.760-04:002015-05-21T23:35:47.760-04:00Deflategate reveals quite a lot about current Amer...Deflategate reveals quite a lot about current American culture and its press corps. You have an authority figure, Goodell, who presents judgments. Unusually, he also presents all the factual evidence he has used to make his decision. The public can either judge the evidence for themselves or rely on the notably erratic authority figure.<br /><br />While it could be argued that most fans don't have the time to read the evidence, it would be more accurate to say that they don't want to read the report and wouldn't understand it anyway. Sadly, the same is true of the press. Most people follow and support the authority figure. <br /><br />So we have a perfect model for the public debates about everything from health care to foreign policy. Reasonable, intelligent analysis of the facts will not enter into the discussion until long after huge mistakes have been made. Eventually there may be some recognition there was a problem, but who-coulda-node will be the new order of the day. <br /><br />Trollmesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-13734032742252800872015-05-21T21:52:22.408-04:002015-05-21T21:52:22.408-04:00Did Moby Dick Break Boyle's Law?<a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/41200202" rel="nofollow">Did Moby Dick Break Boyle's Law? </a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-75743789913271673892015-05-21T21:06:04.321-04:002015-05-21T21:06:04.321-04:00This is why we can't have nice things.This is why we can't have nice things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-44370477362834192592015-05-21T19:18:32.789-04:002015-05-21T19:18:32.789-04:00Which is why @ 6:37 is repeatedly engaging in disc...Which is why @ 6:37 is repeatedly engaging in discussing non-stuff like trolls. It is a shame Bob Somerby attracts nothing but trolls and a few brave readers who defy them by pointing out what a drag they are to meaningful conversations about PSI all this week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-44929677583172416872015-05-21T18:55:58.207-04:002015-05-21T18:55:58.207-04:00I think it is wonderful that Bob Somerby is teachi...I think it is wonderful that Bob Somerby is teaching pro football fans a little about physics and introducing them to Melville while instilling within yet another group of possible converts to the progressive cause<br />a healthy skepticism about reporters who are almost as overpaid as the wife beaters they bet on every Sunday.<br /><br />The trolls who complain he is beating a dead horse by repeating this<br />topic in mulitple posts don't acknowledge how lazy and dumb liberals are. Obviously they are unlikey to see the need to repeat the message<br />over and over until the equally dumb sports fans get it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-46714731892385365282015-05-21T18:37:07.088-04:002015-05-21T18:37:07.088-04:00I think it is just as annoying when it is "pa...I think it is just as annoying when it is "parody" as when it is hostile. I'm sure some of the trolls think they are cleverly parodying Somerby (or each other) and providing entertainment. It is annoying to at least some people here who would prefer to be discussing stuff. The signal to noise ratio is just too discouraging of conversation. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-66769404864954616702015-05-21T18:23:48.426-04:002015-05-21T18:23:48.426-04:00And, given the poster's 'name," proba...And, given the poster's 'name," probably parody troll blather at that!If The Joke Needs Explaining...noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-59568953094030810242015-05-21T16:27:30.524-04:002015-05-21T16:27:30.524-04:00Nope. You missed nothing. What 1:56 is doing is ca...Nope. You missed nothing. What 1:56 is doing is called trolling, for a reason. <br /><br />When this blog a couple days ago did venture into the calculations of pressure difference, it quoted the Wells report on the matter. Trolls gotta troll though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-30058647105655206772015-05-21T15:47:40.541-04:002015-05-21T15:47:40.541-04:00So very childish @3:42. Just go away.So very childish @3:42. Just go away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-70734505057349315742015-05-21T15:46:18.308-04:002015-05-21T15:46:18.308-04:00I haven't seen any calculations Somerby perfor...I haven't seen any calculations Somerby performed, any equations or any evidence he was using Fahrenheit as opposed to some other scale in such calculations. He simply said temperature could account for the difference. Did I miss something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-84420519901158477672015-05-21T15:42:37.794-04:002015-05-21T15:42:37.794-04:00I'm sure you're quite familiar with the sm...I'm sure you're quite familiar with the smell of anus, 1:51.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-55488695464016827012015-05-21T15:39:36.814-04:002015-05-21T15:39:36.814-04:00Troll blatherTroll blatherAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-68201176455921953992015-05-21T15:37:29.751-04:002015-05-21T15:37:29.751-04:00Troll blatherTroll blatherAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-78536827822983396182015-05-21T14:02:41.067-04:002015-05-21T14:02:41.067-04:00You can use Rankine scale instead of Fahrenheit. ...You can use Rankine scale instead of Fahrenheit. hardindrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05275899305949454964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-41188162497367487322015-05-21T13:59:07.769-04:002015-05-21T13:59:07.769-04:00"...Bob's practice never to correct his o..."...Bob's practice never to correct his own. After all, deliberatly altering a passage from a great literary work to insert a word never there..."<br /><br />I know, right??!!!!??<br /><br />And yet he keeps on maligning poor Melville, day after awful day pounding on the "dumbness" of the whale we all know was actually just white. And -- hello -- FICTIONAL!! <br /><br />Who does Somerby think he's fooling with this???The Trolls We're Stuck Withnoreply@blogger.com