The Plexiglass Principle

Posted on by Llewen Leave a comment

A term coined by Bill James, who is a pioneer in baseball statistical analysis. From “The Bill James Indicators” page on Fangraphs (https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-bill-james-indicators/):

“Simply put, teams that improve in one season tend to decline in the following year, and vice versa.”

I think that describes, quite accurately, what is happening politically, worldwide, with civil and human rights. There has been an extended period of significant advances, and we are now going through, what will hopefully be, a short period of regression.

Kremlin Blues

Posted on by Llewen Leave a comment

I went to Russia and I got ‘er done,
Me and some orphans had some fun,
You never know who’s filming when you’ve blocked out the sun,
Now the little man has me under his thumb.

Oh Lord, it tastes so sweet,
Honey on the hands, cognac on the feet,
It’s a mistake I won’t repeat,
“Have a cigar before I take away the sheets.”

I sold my soul to Russia and I got ‘er done,
Me and Mississippi had some some fun,
The walls have eyes, there’s nowhere to run,
How do I tell Jehovah what I’ve done to his Son?

Oh Lord, they washed my feet,
And pressed wild flowers in ways I thought were discreet,
There’s a hole in my heart where the angels beat,
Drums made of rubber with fists of concrete.

I went to Russia and I got ‘er done,
Me and some orphans had some fun,
You never know who’s filming when you’ve blocked out the sun,
Now the little man has me under his thumb.

Russian Party