Sweet 16 Picks

As is the case for most of us my NCAA bracketis a mess. So I figured it’s time to just pick some games in each round! Of course this time it’s against the spread.

• Oregon State +7 Loyola Chicago
• Villanova +7.5 Baylor
• Arkansas -11 Oral Roberts
• Syracuse +6.5 Houston
• Gonzaga -13 Creighton
• Florida State +2.5 Michigan
• UCLA +6.5 Alabama
• USC -2 Oregon

Don’t forget as with everything else in life COVID has changed things this weekend. The Sweet 16 is Saturday and Sunday and no games overlap as they did in the past. The Elite 8 will be Monday and Tuesday.

The Only Way to Fix Daylight Savings

Let’s Get Rid of Daylight Savings and Time Zones - Bloomberg

But I’d also like to go one step further and propose getting rid of time zones altogether. I’m hardly the first to make this suggestion; the argument has been put forth sporadically for about half a century. That’s about a third of the time we’ve had time zones, incidentally.

I have been on this train for years so I am happy to see others jumping on. Time zones are a relic that are no longer needed. Join the revolution.

March Madness COVID Style

When the tournament tips off there are certain things you need in the world. A bar, a beer, and the games. COVID changed the view, but it did not stop a tradition from continuing. Thanks Henry Street Ale House for the food, beer, great service, and the heaters!

The Subway Is the Lifeblood of New York City

The subway is such an important part of New York City. Wear your mask, but ride the rails!

Mode(RNA) and Tesla, We the Taxpayer Built That

Tesla Got a Major Boost From 2009 U.S. Stimulus - Bloomberg

One year after Obama took office, Tesla got a $465 million federal loan to design electric vehicles and build them at a manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif. The company went public shortly thereafter, repaid the loan early, mainstreamed the electric vehicle, and now employs about 20,000 people in the Bay Area alone. It has the second-largest market capitalization of any automaker worldwide.

Statement: Moderna Vaccine Belongs to the People - Public Citizen

Public Citizen previously published a report showing that, in addition to the U.S. government’s early investments, the government has filed patents related to the vaccine and will likely have an ownership stake in the vaccine technology. Moderna has relied on a stabilized spike protein developed by the U.S. government. The U.S. government also funded 100% of Moderna’s project to bring the vaccine to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval. Taxpayers also paid twice when the Trump administration paid Moderna an additional $1.5 billion to secure doses in advance.

My 2021 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Cuomo Has to Go

Attorneys: Probe should examine handling of harassment complaint by Cuomo’s staff

In December 2018, under an executive order signed by Cuomo, GOER became the office responsible for handling sexual harassment investigations, and is required to be notified of all complaints. That order, which followed expanded rules for sexual harassment allegations and responses, “transferred the responsibility for conducting investigations of all employment-related discrimination complaints to the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations … (and) all such complaints of protected class employment-related discrimination will be investigated by GOER.”

The investigation on what exactly happened needs to go on, but this blurb from above is why Cuomo needs to go now. His office did not follow any of the laws that he signed into law in regards to reporting the complaint.

Twitter Bar Mitzvah

13 years since I posted this gem!

Learning to use twitter!

— Darren Cohen (@_DarrenCohen) March 11, 2008

Bring Back NHL 2Night

The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and National Hockey League Reach Groundbreaking Long-Term Agreement

The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and the National Hockey League have reached a historic and innovative seven-year television, streaming and media rights deal, taking the new partnership from the beginning of the 2021-22 season through the 2027-28 season.

This is great news for hockey. If you are not on ESPN you don’t exist, and the NHL has suffered from being off their air. Now bring back the old theme music!

Update: They listened to me

Yes, hockey fans, the iconic ESPN @NHL theme music will be back!

Composer Bob Christianson shares more on the musical piece first introduced to viewers in 1992, that still resonates with hockey fans after nearly 30 yearshttps://t.co/PvcI2nDuHu pic.twitter.com/hOdPaXAeXg

— ESPN Front Row (@ESPNFrontRow) March 10, 2021

Jim Crow on Steroids

BREAKING: Iowa Gov. Reynolds signs into law a Republican-backed bill that makes it harder to vote early; shortens early voting period from 29 days to 20; voting sites will close at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. https://t.co/EqiXFfeTEx

— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 8, 2021

Every GOP run state is trying to make it harder to vote. We can be a democracy or a country that allows laws like this to become a thing, but we can’t be both.